Salman Khursheed is a jobless man today, at least in Uttar Pradesh. In a sudden move, he has been unceremoniously removed from the post of UPCC president. This does not augur well for the Congress, which is already floundering in the state. Kishore Kumar Malviya speaks to the man at the centre of the storm about the volatile internal politics of the UP Congress. Q. Mr Khursheed, did the high command consult you before removing you?
A.Yes.Talks had been on for two weeks. The matter was pondered over with great seriousness.
Q. Why this sudden need for a change?
A. The fundamental question is that, in the last two years, the effort people have put in has helped the party gain a lot of lost ground in U.P. But for a party to find its feet, a lot of difficult and hard decisions have to be taken. But if some people want to be kept happy, and are kept happy, then there will be no place for new comers. And if there is no place for the new comers, they will be dissatisfied. If we spend all our time just solving internal problems, how does one fight elections. So a time comes when you feel that some changes can be made. That time had come and so the changes. Q. So you admit that you took some hard decisions and they didn’t go down too well with some people in UP?
A. I can’t say whether the number of unhappy people has gone up. If you take one person’s side, the other is bound to be unhappy and vice versa. But the responsibility is entrusted with the leader and he has to do man-management in a way that he takes maximum people along with him and in a way that he doesn’t have to compromise with his principles or goals. It can’t be said how successful the leader eventually is. But somebody has to bear the brunt.
Q. After the shuffle can we say it is you bore the brunt?
A. I’ve had to bear the brunt in the sense that work has been done in the past two years and I would have wanted to meet the targets I had set and take credit for the success. Q. It is evident that you have not been removed because of work you have done as the President of UPCC. There must be some big reason considering that you are responsible for improving the Congress UP tally in Lok Sabha from 0 to 10?
A. No, no, this is not true. This is the system of reshuffle. When a minister is shifted from one post to another, it does not mean he was inefficient in handling his work. Or that he could not be trusted on that post. The entire team, the set up, atmosphere has to be made. Q. Do you think it was the right time to effect the change considering that the party polls and the assembly polls are round the corner?
A. Assembly polls can take place next year or after a 16 months, that one cannot speculate. So both these factors had to be kept in mind. As far as the party is concerned, if a new president had to be brought in, this was the right time. Had I remained the president, the entire team would have been selected after consulting me. After that if a new president was elected and if he didn’t like the team, it would have been problematic. Q. Your opponents allege that the teams you have handpicked, whether at the district level or at the state level, consist of people more loyal to you than to the Congress.

A. Only time will tell this. I broke every tradition when I didn’t change even a single president of the 127 district & city unit presidents for one and a half years. Even later I changed only 13 presidents. The tradition is that when a new state president takes over, he changes heads of all units. Q. You have admitted openly, on earlier occasions, to the media that there are dissatisfied people who are indulging in anti-party activities should be dealt with strictly. But no such move seems to have been made.
A. No this is true. Some people have been suspended or expelled.
Q. Only small fry?
A. Small fry may have been thrown out but that may have been an indication for others that action can be taken against them. But when I spoke about strict action, I also said there is proper time when action should be taken and that no decision should be taken in a hurry. Secondly, we are not playing policeman but running a political party and all political challenges must be met in a political way. Q. Another allegation is that you tried to make some senior leaders irrelevant.
A. Nobody can make senior leaders irrelevant. If your language, thought, behaviour and point of view are in not in conformity with the current times, you will become irrelevant yourself. If the programme you pursue is the one the people want and the one that satisfies their needs, then you will automatically become a successful leader. And all communities will give you respect. But you don’t get by asking, you get by doing.
Q. So you think Jitendra Prasad asks but doesn’t do? A. He also got the opportunity, he held several senior posts, he has his own contacts and experience. So if I say that just because I don’t like him, and because we have differences, so I should snatch everything from him. I can neither do that, nor I should. But if we are not successful at something, why blame others? If I couldn’t win elections, why should I abuse you for it?
Q. So should the party high command deal with Jitendra Prasad strictly?
A. As I said earlier, there should be freedom of expression in any political outfit. There should be no fear of the high command; that we will be dismissed because the high command doesn’t like what we say. But if there is no discipline, then things will go out of control. So a middle path should be there and a decision about this has to be taken by the national leadership. Q. What can be this middle path?
A. The middle path can only be that you take strict action but also give the person a second chance. Like following a carrot and stick policy.
Q. Do you think the party has followed a carrot and stick policy by removing you as the president?
A. I have said earlier, there is no question of my removal because of Jitendra Prasad or anybody else. Yes but there was an atmosphere that I will not be able to perform to my best capacity in UP that begets my responsibility or the goals we have laid down for the party. So a formula had to be found. QSo what guarantee is there that those people who didn’t extend support to you will do so now?
A. There can be no guarantee, only an attempt. Q Some people feel that Jitendra Prasad is a threat to the party high command. What do you feel?
A. Those who don’t understand the Congress will say this. There is a certain history, tradition and culture to the party. And the role Sonia Gandhi is playing in the party is by no means insignificant.