NEW DELHI: These days when the BJP is having a tough time with sants seemingly setting the agenda, a godman close to the Congress, Chandra Swami, is rearing his head again in a bid to control mass organizations of the ruling party.

For the last few weeks Chandra Swami’s house in the Safdar jung Development Area (SDA), South: Delhi, has been a scene of hectic political activity. Aspirants for the top posts in the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and the National Students Union of India (NSUI) are queuing up for Swami’s blessings.

It seems that the tiresome process of electing new chiefs for both bodies is coming to a close. A number of State NSUI leaders are camping in the Capital, Moreover, ‘the AICC General Secretary in charge of the Congress mass organizations, Ahmed Patel, has sent a file listing five names for the presidency of the LY C to Congress President Narasimha Rao’s Political Secretary Jitendra Prasada. Current President Ramesh Chennithala has apparently reached the age of 35, after which he can no longer continue, according to the Congress constitution. The party high command has at the same time, been talking of a “revamp” of mass organizations, Patel has shortlisted Subash Chowdhry, Maninder Singh Bitta, Surajbhan Singh Solanki, Jagmit Singh Brar and Manish Tiwari, for the IYC President’s: post. Chowdhry is a past President of the NSUI (in the early 80s), but more importantly he has been with Chandra Swami for over a year now. Incidentally, it appears those Chowdhry is over 35 years of age, meaning that if he gets the nod, the party constitution will have to be amended.

Bitta is a Minister in Punjab and has the backing of State Chief Minister Beant Singh. Solanki is being supported by V.C Shukls while Brar, an MP from Punjab, is an ardent follower of Arjun Singh: and was suspended from the Congress for “antiparty activities,” a standard phrase used to discipline local dissidents.

Tiwan is the current President of the NSUI and is Rajesh Pilot’s man.

With such big names backing the candidates it is hardly surprising that the exercise has begun to look unwieldy. Also, Chandra Swami”s” backing of Chowdhry has triggered a host of overage contenders.

At least four state NSUI presidents S.P,Goswami of Uttar Pradesh, Zubsir Khan of Rajasthan, Raj Kumar Patel of Madhya Pradesh and Kamal/Kant Sharma of Delhi and all India NSUl treasurer Jagjeet Singh have pitched in for a promotion of sorts. The choice for the NSUI President is equally confusing. In the fray are Anand Ahinyar, an MP from Madhya Pradesh, Tanvir Akhiar, a former JNU Students Union President who lost the following year, Saleem Ahmed KamalakaNSUIchicfand backed by AICC General Secretary Janardhan Poojary, Farid Arifuddin, again from Karnatka and supported by Oscar Femandes, Srinath Misra from Orissa and Mahesh Gaur of Andhra Pradesh whose case is being canvassed by State Chief Minister Vijay Bhaskara Reddy.

Apparently, Chandra Swam has decided to back Chowdhry (IYC) and Akhtar (NSUI), But this is already causing heart burn among Congress circles. The view apparently is that the essentially political process must not be allowed to be controlled by an) “outsider.”

On Friday, a group of State NSUL leaders met Patel and impressed upon him the need to exclude Chandra Swami from the exercise. Apart from this no woman has been shortlisted for either post.

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 22, 1993