CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and AICC leader Ahmed Patel will face stumbling blocks if they want to retain their Rajya Sabha seats.  

Unless of course, crucial issues are sorted out.

The West Bengal state unit wants Yechury for a third term, but the CPI-M's Central Committee does not want him to get a third term as a matter of principle.

Remember, this is the same Central Committee, which in its infinite wisdom turned down the United Front's proposal of the late West Bengal CM Jyoti Basu as its prime ministerial candidate.

The Committee members do not want the taint of asking the Congress to vote for Yechury.

Personally, Yechury is keen to have another term in the Rajya Sabha as he can then be the anti-BJP points-person inside the Upper House.

As for Ahmed Patel? BJP president Amit Shah considers him to be an arch rival and will create obstacles in his path. The BJP is therefore engineering a split among Congress MLAs.

The Gujarat Congress Committee has proposed Patel's name for another term in the Rajya Sabha, but eight Congress MLAs have protested the candidature.

BJP has also been approached by Congress dissidents. Amit Shah is obviously encouraging dissidents like Shanker Sinh Vagehla to meet
him and other BJP leaders.


The Congress Legislature Party is also heading for a split. Many Congress MLAs want to show their real intentions against Ahmed Patel but the term of the Gujarat Assembly is also coming to an end and they don't want to rock the boat.

The goal of defeating Ahmed Patel is only getting stronger.