NEW DELHI, July 5 � Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi�s leadership may be questioned yet again when Congressmen from the State belonging to rival factions depose on Sunday before the AK Antony Committee, which was appointed to look into the party�s performance during the last Parliamentary polls.
Chief Minister Gogoi, PCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita and other senior leaders of the State Congress have arrived here to take part in the meeting on Sunday. Those who have been invited to submit their views, include leaders of both Gogoi and Himanta Biswa Sarma�s camps.
Those who would take part include Paban Singh Ghatowar, Bijoy Krishna Handique, Kirip Chaliha, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Anjan Dutta, senior office-bearers of the frontal organisations, the three Lok Sabha MPs, a few ex-MPs, Ministers and MLAs among others.
The Antony Committee, which also includes Mukul Wasnik and Avinash Pandey, has been meeting Pradesh Congress Committee chiefs, Congress Legislative Party leaders and other party functionaries from various States. The exercise is being undertaken at the initiative of Congress president Sonia Gandhi who has been assigned by the Congress Working Committee to effect the necessary changes in the organisational setup.
The Antony Committee report may be finalised before the Budget Session of Parliament.
The meeting, however, is going to take place in the backdrop of the political crisis that has split the Congress party in Assam into two camps. Though Chief Minister Gogoi�s performance during the Parliamentary polls is likely to come under close scrutiny, the issue of leadership change is not part of the Antony Committee�s brief, party sources said.
But indications are that Himanta Biswa Sarma�s camp is unlikely to let go of the opportunity to bash Gogoi�s leadership, questioning his role and style of functioning, said sources close to the rebel group.
The Chief Minister�s fate is however, tied with the report of Mallilkarjun Kharge, which is believed to be with the Congress president. A final decision on Gogoi�s future was deferred as vice president Rahul Gandhi was away. He has since returned, but the AICC high command seems to be in no hurry to take a call.
Several of the Congress leaders this newspaper spoke to, said that they are planning to seek appointment with Sonia and Rahul Gandhi to plead with them to end the crisis in Assam.
