Crucial meeting between Sonia-Scindia postponed

Bhopal: The meeting between Congress’s interim president Sonia Gandhi and senior party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, scheduled to be held on Tuesday to discuss on the vexed issue of appointment of new chief of Madhya Pradesh Congress, has been postponed.

Although the reason for the postponement of the crucial meeting was not assigned by the party, sources said the unscheduled meeting sought by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar with the Congress high command on Tuesday led to its deferment.

Sources said the meeting between Mrs Gandhi and Mr Scindia may be rescheduled to Wednesday or any day after September 12.

Mrs Gandhi was scheduled to chair a meeting of AICC general secretaries, state PCC presidents and Congress Legislature Party leaders of various states on September 12 to prepare the blueprint for a year-long celebration of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Mr Scindia who returned to Delhi from his visit to the US in the morning was scheduled to meet Mrs Gandhi on Tuesday to discuss issues relating to ensuing Maharashtra  elections and the ongoing infighting in Congress in Madhya Pradesh over the post of new PCC chief.

Sources close to Mr Scindia said the leader held meeting with Cong-ress leaders and MLAs of Maharashtra on Tuesday in his capacity as chairman of the screening committee for the upcoming Assembly polls.

Bickering in Madhya Pradesh Congress over the appointment of new MP chief had earlier taken an ugly turn with party leaders owning allegiance to different factional leaders accusing each other of indulging in corruptions.