Why Congress chose old hands
The selection of CMS shows Rahul’s pragmatic streak
Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s decision to pick Kamal Nath for Madhya Pradesh chief minister and Ashok Gehlot as Rajasthan chief minister reveals that at the core, the party remains conservative and believes in incremental change rather than sharp disruption. But the decision also reveals a pragmatic streak in Mr Gandhi, where he has let political considerations outweigh what may even have been his personal preferences. The challenge now for the old guard is to deliver.
Generational transitions are difficult in each party. Take the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The arrival of Narendra Modi caused great disquiet among the veterans, including his one time mentor, L K Advani, now pushed up to the Margdarshak Mandal. In the Congress too, even though it was always certain that Mr Gandhi would lead the party, as the change happened, those leaders who had worked closely with Sonia Gandhi were uncertain of their role. Mr Gandhi however, ever since taking over, has spoken of how he will take the old and young together. His appointments within the party organisation indeed reflect this balancing act. But amid the balance, the selection of Mr Nath over the more popular Jyotiraditya Scindia or Mr Gehlot over the more charismatic Sachin Pilot shows that Mr Gandhi realises the need for experience: he also senses the pulse of the party organisation. The organisation wants to play safe and accept change at its own pace. But these decisions are also linked to the 2019 elections. Together the two states send 54 MPS to the Lok Sabha. In 2014, Congress won two of these seats. Mr Gehlot has been the CM twice, knows the state bureaucracy, and will be expected to use his administrative experience to sustain the momentum for the Congress in the state. Mr Pilot, as his deputy, has the opportunity to pick governance skills which can eventually enable him to take over in due course. Mr Nath has been winning elections since 1980, and has held a range of ministerial responsibilities at the centre. He also is extremely well networked with corporate India. He will be expected to translate and better the party’s performance in the assembly in the Lok Sabha polls with quick decisions and delivery. Mr Scindia can be expected to play a major role on the national stage both in the run up to the elections and if Congress returns to power.
Both Mr Scindia and Mr Pilot played an important part in the party’s victories. But as Mr Gandhi himself showed between 2009 and 2014, when he could have taken any ministerial post or even become Prime Minister, a gradualist approach is in the party’s ethos. The young leaders can be assured the future is theirs. But for now, it is the old guard which has to deliver.