The Congress party is now bracing itself to effectively counter the Opposition, which is certain to exploit the delicate situation in the Dutt household.
The forthcoming by-elections to the prestigious Mumbai north-west Lok Sabha seat has suddenly made city’s Congressmen an apprehensive lot these days.
Until last week, the mood among party activists was gung-ho, and they were even planning to tug at the emotional strings of the middle-class women voters by highlighting their candidate Priya Dutt’s feat — hours after filing her nomination, she delivered a baby boy. Elated Priya’s supporters distributed sweets.
But then, bitterness set in and embarrassment in the form of her brother, Sanjay’s, name figuring in the imported cars scam hit the party in the face. Under pressure from the Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Sanjay was compelled to surrender his Porsche, allegedly acquired illegally through a shady operator. Further damage was done when the DRI decided to issue summons to Sanjay; this will be followed by a show-cause notice.
Incidentally, during the present drama, Sanjay was in Tanzania (presumably, on a film shoot). The fact the ‘mama’ was not present during the joyous occasion of his nephew’s birth has also not been entirely lost on the partymen or the constituents. It is believed the Dutt siblings enjoy a good relationship after their father’s death.
The party is now bracing itself to effectively counter the Opposition, which is certain to exploit the delicate situation in the Dutt household. The Shiv Sena’s veteran candidate, Madhukar Sarpotdar, had posed a formidable challenge on three occasions in the past. He emerged victorious on two occasions when the late Sunil Dutt went on a high moral ground and refused to contest after revelations of his son’s involvement in the December 3, 1993, Mumbai serial blasts.
Despite picture-perfect poses, many Congressmen, including some MLAs who were ticket hopefuls, had publicly and privately expressed resentment over Priya’s nomination. One had even gone to the extent of terming it as a perpetration of dynastic culture at city-level politics (there’s also south Mumbai MP, Milind Deora, son of Rajya Sabha MP, Murli Deora, among others), which was depriving party loyalists of an opportunity to grow in the hierarchy.
There were other powerful claimants — Sanjay Nirupam, or Tushar Gandhi — who had lost narrowly to Sarpotdar in 1998. At least one MLA was also a strong hopeful since he declined an opportunity during the May 2004 elections to take on Ram Naik from Mumbai’s north constituency.
Many Congressmen can only take solace from the forthcoming judgment in the 1993 case: it is expected well after the November 19 elections are over.
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