Soviets Deny Shift Involving No. 2 Official

The Communist Party’s leading ideologist appeared at the right hand of Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev on Friday, and a government spokesman denied that the official had been demoted.

The developments followed persistent rumors here that Yegor K. Ligachev, 67, regarded as the No. 2 man in the country’s ruling Politburo, had lost his job as the ideological supervisor of the Soviet media as the result of a continuing struggle with Gorbachev.

Although a struggle between the two men is still considered possible, Western analysts here said his presence at the Kremlin celebration marking the birthday of V. I. Lenin, the founder of the Soviet state, appeared to reduce the chances that he had lost significant power.

No Differences Seen

Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze was asked at a news conference about a possible rift between Gorbachev and Ligachev, but he said he had seen no differences between them.

He said that under the democratic reforms instituted under Gorbachev, members of the Politburo speak out on a range of issues, including ideology and foreign policy.

“Each has something to say, but I’ve seen no signs of a conflict situation,” Shevardnaze said.

Although traditionally a top party figure gives a speech on the anniversary of Lenin’s birth, the leadership opted to let a relatively low-ranking figure, Georgy P. Razumovsky, make the speech at this year’s festivities.

A Compromise Choice?

One analyst said the choice of Razumovsky, a candidate member of the Politburo and secretary of the party Central Committee, might have been a compromise decision so that neither Gorbachev nor Ligachev would appear the loser.

Razumovsky spoke at length on the need for democratization of the Communist Party, saying that restructuring of society, a favorite theme of Gorbachev’s, requires “a serious renovation of the party.”

The need for such renovation has been sounded recently in the Soviet press as the party hierarchy prepares for a conference in June. No agenda has been announced, but Gorbachev’s program of reforms, known as perestroika, or restructuring, will almost certainly be under review.

“Soviet society today needs democracy in its effective, potent manifestations--it needs greater openness, criticism and self-criticism, and real participation of the population in management and control,” Razumovsky said.

Reported on Vacation

The most startling aspect of Friday’s ceremony was the presence on the dais next to Gorbachev of Ligachev, only hours after a government spokesman said he was on vacation.

Rumors swept Moscow this week that Ligachev had been demoted following a clash with Gorbachev in which the Soviet leader offered to resign.

But a Soviet spokesman, Vadim Perfilyev, said only, “There has been no distribution of duties.” He added that Ligachev had not been seen in public because he had been on a week’s vacation.

Western diplomats said it is still possible that the party would convene a high-level meeting known as a plenum, the only legal forum for discussion of demotions and promotions within the party leadership.

The rumors of a struggle at the top of the party followed the publication in March of a lengthy letter in the newspaper Soviet Russia, which spoke glowingly about Josef Stalin and cast indirect aspersions on Gorbachev’s reform program.

Three weeks later, the authoritative Communist Party newspaper Pravda struck back, denouncing the Soviet Russia article as a manifesto of opponents of the reforms. Soviet Russia published an apology.