Kiran in the hit list of Congress HC

New Delhi: There is nervousnessin the air. The Congress Chief Ministers are breathing. Most of them are more to be found in New Delhi than in their respective state headquarters these days, involved in labyrinthine political machinations to save their precarious chairs.

Some are haunting the AICC headquarters on Akbar Road, while some anxiously wait in the hope that Baba or Madam will give them an audience, even for a few minutes. This, if it happens, is a rare and brief occasion.

The reason for their insecurity is fuelled by a Congress party - devoid of trophy Chief Ministers - anxious to avoid a further slide.

If insiders are to be believed, the Damocles' sword is hanging over four of seven Congress CMs - Andhra Pradesh's Kiran Kumar Reddy, Rajasthan's Ashok Gehlot, Goa's Digambar Kamat and Maharashtra's Prithviraj Chavan .

As for Andhra Pradesh, N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was in Delhi last week, has been unsteady in his seat since the beginning. PCC president Botsa Satyanrayana is snapping at his heels, state in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad has no time for his explanations and Y S Jagan Reddy had driven him to the point of frustration and insecurity that Kiran started abusing his own Cabinet ministers.

As a party functionary said, since the 'Kerala local Congress unit does not brook too much interference from New Delhi' and its grandees usually don't come running to Delhi every now and then,'(Chief Minister Oommen) Chandy is the only one who has been left to sort out his own woes.'

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has almost abandoned Jaipur for Delhi waiting for an audience with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Finally, after five days, he was given five minutes at 10 Janpath. Rahul Gandhi is upset over the mishandling of riots in Gopalgarh, Rajasthan, in which Meo Muslims were badly hit.

Prithviraj Chavan is another CM in waiting - of a different sort. He tries to persuade critics that allegations of his 'inaction' are mostly a campaign by vested interests.

But he admitted that he's 'learning on the job.' For a state like Maharashtra, which sags with political heavyweights,' it is crucial to keep the Congress going on the national scene. There is talk of a double reverse swap in Mumbai - Chavan exchanging places with Vilasrao Deshmukh.

If the next round of bypolls may bring the curtains down on the Hooda era in Haryana, it's the Assembly election bugle that is saving Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat's skin.