Pride, despair in Rae Bareli

      Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh): Sadness and pride engulfed Sonia Gandhi's home borough of Rae Bareli after news filtered in about her resignation from Parliament over the controversy surrounding the holding of "offices of profit". Residents of the dusty town of Rae Bareli are shocked and in disbelief. Groups of shopkeepers, housewives, and government workers have had several huddled meetings in the wake of this unexpected political development. Sonia Gandhi since her party storming to power in New Delhi in 2004 has undertaken extensive development work in the region, which now boasts of new colleges, improved healthcare centres and industrial units. She herself has been regularly visiting the constituency, a legacy she inherited from her mother-in-law and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and the people here believe the family to be nothing less than gods. Sonia and her two children - Rahul and Priyanka -- are hugely popular in the region, and for the locals, her latest move after her dramatic refusal to take the Prime Minister's post because of opposition to her Italian birth, has literally catapulted her to the status of being a martyr.

     But while most are proud of their leader, many fear that this latest political upheaval will take the focus off much needed development. "She (Sonia Gandhi) is and will always be an honest leader and Indian politics no longer has place for people of such integrity as her and I think this is why she resigned," said Chandramani Tripathi, a loyalist of Sonia. "She (Sonia Gandhi) has promoted many industrial areas in the region, done a lot of work for the people so with this latest move that ray of hope has been extinguished. We have been plunged into darkness and fear that development will not happen in this region," added Basant Gupta, another Rai Bareli resident. Geeta Gupta, a young housewife, said the region's women would rise in support of Sonia Gandhi. "We are saddened by this developments because she is an inspiration, especially to the women who look up to her as a role model. We have great expectations from her that she will help promote and inspire women," she said. The Constitution of India bars members of Parliament from holding an "office of profit" -- any government post that entitles them to pay and perks. But in practice, many lawmakers also serve on official bodies outside parliament.

    The controversy erupted after Jaya Bachchan, a Rajya Sabha member was disqualified this month for serving as the head of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Board. Since then, several petitions have been filed against other members of Parliament, including Sonia Gandhi, whose party came to power at the head of a Communist-backed coalition in May 2004. About 40 other lawmakers, both in the ruling coalition and the opposition, are believed to hold such positions. The National Advisory Council was established to advise the coalition government on policy and give Gandhi a supervisory role after she declined the post of Prime Minister. The Government abruptly adjourned the Parliament on Wednesday and was reportedly considering issuing an emergency ordinance to change the law over the "office of profit" provision. But this evoked a storm of protest from the opposition, which accused the government of subverting parliament. Sonia Gandhi said her decision to quit was in line with her "standards of public morality and personal values". But the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called the resignation a drama to save face.

Congress workers stage protests, ask Sonia
to withdraw resignation

     New Delhi: Congress workers today thronged the 10, Janpath official residence of their party president Sonia Gandhi and asked her to take back her resignation from Parliament and the National Advisory Council. Shouting pro-Congress and pro-Sonia slogans and waving banners that castigated the opposition, Congress workers , women and children used their lung power to the hilt to convince their leader to have a rethink on the issue brought by the controversy surrounding the office of profits issue. Led by Congress member of Parliament (MP) Sajjan Kumar and Delhi member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Mukesh Sharma, hundreds of party workers reached the spot and shouted pro-Sonia and anti-BJP slogans. Other supporters present on the spot included Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association secretary Rajiv Shukla, State Finance Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, MP Dr. Arvind Sharma, Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Subodh Kant Sahay, president of Delhi University Students' Union Ragini Nayak and several others. Shukla, supporting Sonia's stand, said, "The step she has taken is right. I and the party workers fully extend our support to her." Taking a tough stand on the Opposition, Shukla said, "Her resignation is a befitting reply to the Opposition, which kept extending the date of resignation (a covert remark to L. K. Advani)." "Even Amar Singh has refused to step down, but Soniaji has quit," he added. Sajjan Kumar supporting Sonia said, "She will certainly contest from her constituency, Rai Bareli in the next election." He also said that the Opposition was raising paltry issues and the Congress would remain unfazed by their actions. The protestors burnt an effigy of Advani and shouted slogans, "Advani is dead and we are performing the last rituals." Security personnel have been deployed in large numbers to ensure the situation remains peaceful.

No Bachchan vs Sonia in Rae Bareli

      Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi party today quashed reports of a turf battle taking place between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Jaya Bachchan in the state's Rae Bareli constituency. Talking to reporters here, Samajwadi Party General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said: "Jaya Bachchan will contest the Rajya Sabha elections and will not be pitted against Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli". Gandhi is scheduled to visit Rae Bareli next week to explain the reasons for her decision to resign from Parliament and from the National Advisory Council. Earlier, there were media-related rumours that Jaya Bachchan would be the Samajwadi Party's candidate for Rae Bareli. Denying such media reports Yadav said: "There is no truth in it" and added, "We would certainly give a strong candidate against Mrs. Gandhi in Rae Bareli but the selection of candidate is yet to be made". Both Jaya Bachchan and Sonia Gandhi, once close family friends, have lost or left their respective political positions owing to the controversy surrounding the office of profits issue. While Election Commission acted in the case of Jaya Bachchan and recommended her disqualification to President A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, the same action was being contemplated in the case of Sonia Gandhi, but came to nought with her resignation from Parliament on Thursday. .

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