Post-poll: Sonia will request big business for help
May 13, 2009 09:16 IST
Highly placed sources in the party say Congress President Sonia Gandhi will request big business's help to win friends and install a Congress-led government at the Centre.
Congress sources say businessmen who enjoy a good relationship with Congress leaders and bureaucrats close to the party will be requested to tap their contacts in various political parties and establish a basis for a dialogue by which an understanding can be reached in the post results scenario.
The two men orchestrating this Sonia initiative, the sources claim, are a high profile minister, who is currently contesting a tough re-election, and an influential economist-bureaucrat, both of whom have an impressive list of businessmen contacts.
Sources claim the list of likely businessmen may include Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, Infosys Chairman N R Narayana Murthy, HCL Chairman Shiv Nadar, Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata, among others. It is unclear and uncertain if any of these businessmen will collaborate with the Congress in achieving its political ambitions.
Congress sources say once such groundwork is done, the political operators will take over. The level of confidence at 10 Janpath, Sonia Gandhi's home and the hub of the Congress party, the sources add, is "very high." Irrespective of whether the Congress emerges as the single largest party or not, every effort will be made to cobble together the numbers and ensure that Dr Manmohan Singh remains India's prime minister.
Renu Mittal in New Delhi
