NEW DELHI, India— Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi announced the first major reshuffle and housecleaning in his governing Congress Party on Sunday, promised “strict action” against corrupt politicians and power brokers.
Gandhi, who is known as “Mr. Clean,” recently berated the sprawling party for “losing touch with the toiling millions.” Sunday he announced sweeping changes in the organization, working committee, parliamentary board, secretariat and other key groups.
The prime minister appointed one of his closest and most trusted aides, Commerce Minister Arjun Singh, as party vice president, Singh, former governor of Punjab, helped negotiate a peace accord between Gandhi and Sikh moderates last July.
Mr. Arjan Singh’s appointment as Vice—President of Congress (I) is being differently interpreted. Some consider it an elevation and feel that Arjan Singh had impressed Rajiv with his excellent handling of the Punjab situation and has now entered his inner circle. They credit him for enjoying complete confidence of the Prime Minister.
However, others regard his removal front the key portfolio as a demotion. They feel that Arjan Singh has been eased out because of Brahmin-Rajput rivalry in the Cabinet. Some even suggest that Rajiv was unhappy with the way Arjan Singh was functioning and had expressed his concern at the negligent manner in which Arjan Singh was handling his Ministry.
The reshuffle Sunday was the first major reorganization of the 100-year-old party since Gandhi won a landslide victory in the December 1984 national elections. The Congress Party controls more than three-fourths of the seats in Parliament and most of the state assemblies.
Gandhi, who took over after his mother Indira Gandhi was assassinated, has emphasized the need to root out corruption from government, politics and business, reduce red tape and modernize India.
The Congress Party, largest in the world’s biggest democracy often has been criticized by opponents and Gandhi himself for corruption. The party, which led the struggle for India’s independence from Britain, celebrated its 100th anniversary last month and Ganchi publicly chastised it before 100,000 stunned workers.
Gandhi criticized the party in his centenary speech for being “preoccupied” with wohrnance and falling prey to the hills that the loss of invigorating mass contact brings.”
The 41 year old leader said the Congress Party workers were “handicapped, for on their backs ride the brokers of power and influence.”
The party is the descendant of Indian National Congress formed in December, 1885. Its early leaders, including Mohandas K. Gandhi, father of the nation, led the Indian independence movement against the British.
“Today’s reconstitution is the starting point to cleanse the party and make it more operational,” Gandhi told reporters. The new party officials will have more autonomy to” ‘equip the party to play more effectively its historical role as an instrument for social, economic and political emancipation of the poor,” he said.
He emphasized the leaders who were appointed to new positions in the reshuffle were those who “stood with the party during its worst period.”
The Congress Party has governed India for all but three years since independence from British rule in 1947.
Gandhi dropped certain controversial politicians from the Congress working committee and shifted some trusted aides from the government to party posts.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 24, 1986
