Priya out of reckoning

In an indication of the churning that is taking place in the Congress party under Rahul Gandhi, Priya Dutt -- a former MP from Mumbai -- has been removed from the post of secretary of All India Congress Committee.

With that the wheel has turned a full circle for both the Congress and the Dutt family. Nargis Dutt, known for her proximity to Mrs Indira Gandhi, was a nominated Rajya Sabha MP; after her death, her husband, the late Sunil Dutt, was a diehard Congress loyalist.

Priya was, however, not too active in the party for the last four years. In 2014, she was given a ticket against the BJP candidate Poonam Mahajan and had lost the seat.

A letter issued by Ashok Gehlot, general secretary, AICC, stated, "Rahul Gandhi has appreciated your hard work and contribution to the party as secretary of AICC. I am sure your services will be utilised by the party in the future also."

Sources said Priya had not aligned herself with the new stakeholders in the Congress party. She particularly did not have a good equation with Sanjay Nirupam, the president of

the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee. After her loss in the 2014 polls, she had begun skipping party events.

The source said: "Priya was absent from the programmes of party president Rahul Gandhi as well. Rahul had visited Mumbai four times to address party workers and she did not attend these important events."

Old timers believe this is a strong indication that Dutt may be overlooked in the forthcoming elections. However, a close confidante of Priya claimed she herself is not keen on contesting either.

A party insider said, "If Priya is not a candidate in 2019, then the party will consider Naseem Khan, a former minister, as her replacement. At present, Khan is the sitting legislator from Chandivli constituency which has a sizeable Muslim presence.

Old timers say Priya, unlike her father, was not a peoplefriendly leader. She was a recluse was accessible to only an inner circle of confidantes and workers.