A general body meeting of the Congress Party in Parliament expected to meet the next week is likely to give a befitting reply to the Opposition’s campaign against the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the light of the WikiLeaks expose on the July 2008 trust vote.
Generally, the CPP general body meets twice during a Parliament session. But this time, it has not met so far. The two Houses of Parliament could adjourn sine die on March 25. Before that the CPP general body is expected to meet, sources indicated.
The NDA, Left and the non-UPA regional parties have made the Congress their main target of attack which could disrupt proceedings of Parliament next week.
The WikiLeaks disclosure has also pointed out the main Opposition BJP’s dual stand on key issues, including that of the nuclear deal with the US. It will be interesting to see whether the expose could demoralise the BJP inside and outside Parliament.
Besides, the Congress managers are also working on to expose the BJP in Parliament if it discusses the corruption issue next week. The Marxists have been consistent on their anti US line while regional parties in Parliament divided in different camps have no firm stand on the relations with the US like the Left has.
If the Samajwadi Party’s flip-flop on the nuclear deal with the US was a glaring example of how regional players think on the national issues, defections in other parties on the July 2008 trust vote in Parliament had also shown conviction and priorities of MPs.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s address to the general body could give talking points against the BJP’s double talk on issues of national importance on double yardsticks on the moral and ethical issues like corruption.
Besides, it will also set the tone for the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry in the next two months.
If Congress insiders are to be believed, Mrs Gandhi and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee could address a joint meeting in West Bengal.
The Congress Party is fighting the Assembly elections in an alliance with the regional parties in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.