Mumbai: Union minister for minority affairs AR Antulay may have come out unscathed after his controversial remark over the death of ATS chief Hemant Karkare, but the state Congress is not in favour of considering him for the Lok Sabha (LS) elections.

Antulay, 79,represents the Kolaba LS seat in Raigad district. Antulay in his remark indicated that Karkare may have been a victim of conspiracy as he was probing the role of right-wing leaders in the Malagaon bomb blast case.

Antulays remark created pandemonium in parliament as well as the state assembly. Despite pressure within the ruling Congress, the AICC refused to sack Antulay from the Union cabinet.

A close aide of Antulay said, "What made his case strong was the support he rallied from UPA allies representing Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Congress did not muster the courage to drop him thinking it would send wrong signals among minorities which constitute their traditional vote bank."

Citing the double-speak within the Congress, a general secretary said, "The lower-rung cadre is utterly confused and wonders what was the compulsion to retain Antulay in the cabinet."

In the state politics, however, Antulay does not hold much political clout. He has always sought the support from top leadership of the state to even win his own LS seat in the past. Moreover, what has upset the party is that Antulay has never taken up the cause of minorities when it comes to raising the issues related to their socio-economic development.

After stepping down as state chief minister in 1982 following the cement scam, Antulay was sidelined in the organisation.

The UPA decision to handpick him to head the minority ministry, especially created in the Manmohan Singh government recently, caught everybody by surprise. It was seen as a political gesture to rehabilitate the old Indira-Gandhi loyalist.

The Congress which banks on 16 per cent minority vote bank in the state has managed to retain the upper hand with or without Antulay.

Not surprisingly, despite voices of discord emanating within the Congress, everybody has dismissed the Antulay controversy as a non-issue in state politics.
Source : Central