NEW DELHI: Senior congress leader and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh State Arjun Singh Friday repudiated reports that he was a contender for the post of party president and said he firmly stood by the Congress working committee’s (CWC) decision that Sonia Gandhi should head the party.

Arjun Singh said “whatever were my true feelings I placed them before the CWC and it totally agreed with it” He however did not elaborate

Asking every party man “worth his salt” that this was no time to contend for anything Arjun Singh said “many forces and individuals are conspiring at this moment’ to disintegrate the congress. We have to resolutely combat them and foil their nefarious designs”. ;

“In this grave hour of crisis it is our duty to strengthen the congress which literally Stands between peace and progress of country and chaos and communal frenzy, that is threatening to overtake it , Singh Said in a statement.

Arjun Singh functioned as vice president of the Congress-I when Ms Indira Gandhi headed the party in early eighties.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 31, 1991