Cong sets up 5-member panel on INTUC factionalism

The Congress on Saturday set up a five-member coordination committee to keep an eye on the developments within the two factions of the party-affiliated INTUC.

Senior leader Tariq Anwar has been appointed as the convener of the committee.

The party had earlier recognised the Indian National Trade Union Congress led by G Sanjeeva Reddy as the official body and had appealed to Reddy and C S Dubey, who heads the other faction, to resolve differences amicably and withdraw all cases pending in various courts. INTUC will be asked to conduct its elections at the earliest, a party statement said.

''As suggested by the two-member committee, the Congress president has appointed a coordination committee to keep an eye on the affairs of INTUC and apprise the Congress president of developments from time to time, as follows, with immediate effect.

''While Tariq Anwar will be its convenor, the members of the panel will be Harish Rawat, K Muraleedharan, MP, Rajmani Patel, MP and Udit Raj,'' the statement said.

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had constituted a two-member committee, with Mallikarjun Kharge and Digvijaya Singh as members, to examine the issues that emerged due to the rivalry among factions of INTUC and frictions within the organisation, and submit a report for further consideration and suitable action.