PICTURE SPEAK

DREAM DENIED: TRS chief Rao on an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar in Delhi

Rao and his party colleague A. Narendra had resigned from their respective posts of Union labour minister and minister of state for rural development on Tuesday. In a way, the TRS had become a victim of its own design in the 15-party UPA Government. Rao's singular agenda since he took charge of the Labour Ministry last year had been to persuade the Congress to cull out a separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh. In the National Common Minimum Programme, the Congress had said, "The UPA Government will consider the demand for the formation of a Telangana state at an appropriate time after due consultations and consensus." But that was in May 2004, when the UPA had come to power.

Coalition politics is an experiment that the Congress party hasn't learnt to enjoy yet. Although, with 146 members in the Lok Sabha, it clearly controls major ministries and key government posts, its allies have their own whims and regional compulsions. Rao isn't the only trouble-maker. In the last two years or so, the Congress leadership has been embarrassed by some of the other key UPA partners as well. Union Health Minister and PMK scion Anbumani Ramadoss, for instance, who is not afraid of carrying out his own agenda. Whether it is hounding out P. Venugopal from the office of director, AIIMS, or revising the medical curriculum arbitrarily, Ramadoss's crusades have been unchallenged by the Congress.

The health minister's father and PMK founder S. Ramadoss is now protesting against the Government's decision to implement 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in a staggered fashion. Ramadoss senior says unless the new quota regime is implemented in one go, doubts about the Government's intention would remain. It is remarkable how the PMK, with only six members in the Lok Sabha, commands such clout at the Centre. Another powerful southern ally of the Congress-the DMK with 16 Lok Sabha members-has its share of controversial ministers in the UPA Cabinet. Shipping Minister T.R. Baalu and Environment Minister Andimuthu Raja are DMK leaders, who, insiders believe, are among the non-performers in the Government.

The Left is dissatisfied with the existing level of coordination between the ruling party and its junior partners. "The Congress has failed to bring out the spirit of the UPA. It has to inspire greater confidence within the alliance. This way it wouldn't do well in its ideological fight against the BJP," says CPI(M) MP Hannan Mollah.

"The Congress has failed to deliver on its commitment to make Telangana a separate state. It has betrayed the trust of 3.5 crore people of that region," said Rao while his blood pressure was being monitored by doctors. The Congress can't be faulted for not making an effort to consult other parties on the subject. It has also set up a committee under Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee. But a consensus on the issue eludes. Apart from the BJP, none of the parties support the idea of an independent state comprising 10 north-western districts of Andhra Pradesh. "If the Congress brings a resolution on Telangana in Parliament, we'll support it," says BJP leader V.K. Malhotra. The CPI(M), which opposes the idea, will not let the Congress make any such move. The Left has demanded a special economic package for the region.

PICTURE SPEAK

UNEASY? PMK's Ramadoss

To the Congress at this stage, the Telangana controversy offers a good excuse to keep non-performers like Rao out of the Union Cabinet. Earlier this week, party general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Digvijay Singh had spoken to Rao on the vexed issue. Sources said Singh and later even Mukherjee had asked the TRS president to be patient and assured him that a discussion on Telangana would be held with Sonia Gandhi. But Rao couldn't wait. The party is angry with him now for not just political reasons.

As Union labour minister, Rao is learnt to have been an infrequent visitor to his office, preferring instead to spend more time in his constituency Karimnagar. The PMO has been inundated with complaints against him. Those concerned with labour, like employers and trade unions, have been critical of Rao's lack of interest. In fact, on August 2 when a CPI delegation met the prime minister, it expressed the party's difficulty in dealing with Rao. The prime minister sought an explanation from him. Sensing a brilliant opportunity to humour the Left trade unions (TUs), the prime minister called all central TUs for a meeting on August 19. He promised that a working group would study violations of labour laws and the issue of pending wages of sick PSU employees. Rao's brief in the Government was to implement labour reforms, including enhancing flexibility in the labour markets. Ironically, those opposing labour reforms raised the loudest voices against him.

Whether the Congress, with its own sense of flexibility in a coalition, would treat other inconvenient members of the alliance the way it treated Rao isn't yet clear. But it is the regional parties that are setting the agenda for national governance. The trend might be worrying for the Congress.

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