CONG SET FOR AN INTERNAL RESHUFFLE
The Congress seems to have finally responded to the calls of workers from across the country to bring about organisational changes and fix the responsibility for a series of electoral debacles that has resulted in the party losing state after state since 2013.
The Congress leadership had come under severe criticism from within and outside for its “indecisiveness”, breakdown of decision-making and “failure to react” to the crisis situations especially after the party’s worst-ever drubbing in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The party has now slowly and steadily initiated the process of restructuring though there is still no clarity when Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will formally take over the reins of the organisation.
TOUGH CALLS
The sacking of party general secretary Digvijaya Singh from Goa for the fiasco that helped the BJP return to power despite the Congress emerging as the largest party is a clear message that the leadership will no longer shy away from acting tough.
Similarly, he was divested of Karnataka charge on the request of a number of state leaders and legislators who had complained against his style of functioning. The growing rebellion was threatening to affect the party’s chances of retaining power in the southern state that goes to polls in April-May next year. Though the BJP is trying hard to make a comeback in Karnataka, the bitter infighting could jeopardise the saffron party’s efforts to cash in on the anti-incumbency against the ruling Congress.
This is the first time that the Congress high command has acted on demands from state leaders for replacing a functionary at a time when the assembly elections are fast approaching. Perhaps, the developments in Assam are fresh in the minds of the leadership.
The exit of senior leader Himanta Biswa Sarma not only resulted in the loss of Assam but also made the Congress vulnerable in other northeastern states. Having lost Arunachal Pradesh due to dissensions, the Congress is now facing exodus in Manipur. It was due to Sarma’s efforts that the BJP succeeded in forming the government in Manipur despite Congress being the largest party. However, the Congress leaders still need to move fast and bring about a change of guard in states, including Bihar, Punjab, Kerala and Odisha.
A FINE BALANCE
The appointment of former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, 66, and Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha (Kerala) KC Venugopal, 54, as general secretaries is an indication that the high command wants to strike a fine balance between the old guard and the GenNext in the party.
To ensure that balance is not disturbed as of now, both Sonia and Rahul have relied on a mix of experience and the youth in the organisational changes so far.