CONGRESS BUILDING; CHIEF MINISTERS DESAI AND GUPTA ARRIVING; CONGRESS PRESIDENT NIJALINGAPPA; M. DESAI; MRS. GANDHI ARRIVING AND SEATED WITH NIJALINGAPPA AND CONGRESS SECRETARY ALI; REPORTERS OUTSIDE; MRS. GANDHI LEAVING; MR. NIJALINGAPPA LEAVING.




Initials LD/VS/PW/LD



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Background: AT A MEETING YESTERDAY (MONDAY) OF THE 21-STRONG WORKING COMMITTEE OF INDIA'S RULING CONGRESS PARTY IN NEW DELHI, IT WAS DECIDED NOT TO TAKE ANY ACTION AGAINST PRIME MINISTER INDIRA GANDHI FOR NOT SUPPORTING THE OFFICIAL PARTY CANDIDATE IN LAST WEEK'S CRUCIAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. MRS. GANDHI, WHO HAD BACKED THE LEFTWING WINNING CANDIDATE, V.V. GIRI, ONCE MORE EMERGED VICTORIOUS IN THE CURRENT POLITICAL UNREST.

MRS. GANDHI'S SUPPORT OF MR. GIRI OVER PARTY CANDIDATE SANJIVA REDDY, WAS HIGHLY CRITICISED BY MANY STRONG PARTY MEMBERS - INCLUDING CHIEF MINISTERS PITENDRA DESAI AND C.B. GUPTA. HER MAIN OPPONENT WAS CONGRESS PRESIDENT S. NIJALINGAPPA - WHO WAS MR. REDDY'S PRINCIPAL BACKER. ALSO AMONG THOSE WHO WERE URGING FOR HER TO RESIGN AND DEMANDING SUCH STRONG DISCIPLINARY ACTION AS HER SUSPENSION FROM PARTY MEMBERSHIP, WAS DEPUTY MINISTER MORARJI DESAI.

BUT MR. GIRI'S VICTORY IN THE AUGUST 16TH ELECTIONS, STRENGTHENED MRS. GANDHI'S POSITION WITHIN THE PARTY AND, AT THE END OF YESTERDAY'S TWO-AND-A-HALF-HOUR MEETING OF THE WORKING COMMITTEE, THE PARTY'S GENERAL SECRETARY SADIQ ALI ANNOUNCED: "THE CONGRESS CRISIS HAS BEEN RESOLVED - NOBODY RESIGNS, NOBODY GOES." MRS. GANDHI HAD CLEARLY WON THE DAY AND DELIVERED A CRUSHING BLOW TO THE RIGHTWING CONGRESS PARTY LEADERS.

A RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE MEETING DESCRIBED THE SPLIT OVER THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AS "PAINFUL AND UNFORTUNATE", BUT ADDED THAT THE MEMBERS NOW WERE WORKING FOR UNITY AND HAD THEREFORE DECIDED NOT TO SAY DO ANYTHING WHICH WOULD BE LIKELY TO WIDEN THE BREACH.