Ever since this massive loss in 2014, Congress has been on the losing spree except for winning Hindi heartland.
In the recent elections of Bihar and by-polls Congress lost too.
However, the recent comments by Kapil Sibal, a senior leader of Congress party was concerned about the party. He’s the one of the leaders who wrote letter to Sonia Gandhi, Interim president of Congress Party regarding restructuring of the party. However, comments of Mr. Sibal led to huge controversy and lead to a lot of divide among the stalwarts of congress
If for six years the congress has not introspected what hope do we have for introspection now? We know what is wrong with the Congress Organisationally, we know what is wrong. I think we have all the answers. The congress party itself knows all the answers. But they are not willing to recognize those answers. If they do not recognize those answers, then the graph will continue to decline. That is the sorry state of affairs that the Congress is in and that is what we are concerned about [1]
What Kapil Sibal said in the interview explained the actual condition of the grand old party and how they are concerned about it. However comments of Mr. Sibal weren’t taken with much of seriousness, he received criticism from his own leaders such as Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary who said
“If some leaders think that Congress is not the right party for them then they may set up a new party or can join any other party which they think is progressive and according to their interest. But they should not indulge in such embarrassing activities since it can erode the credibility of the Congress,”[2]
Another senior leader Salman Khurshid speaking to ANI said that,
“I don’t think that we should be discussing anything outside the party forums. Don’t think we should be playing to the people outside. There’s serious work that has to be done. People like me have no worry about our future as we feel comfortable in our party”
Senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad while speaking to ANI said the following
Our party’s structure has collapsed. We need to rebuild our structure and then if any leader is elected in that structure, it will work,”
“But saying that just by changing the leader, we’ll win Bihar, UP, Madhya Pradesh etc is wrong. That will happen once we change the system,”[3]
From above comments, it could be understood that the congress party isn’t in really good condition and perhaps they have been losing elections after elections. This is not the first time where we have been seeing dissent and infighting in the party, in August 2020, 23 senior leaders wrote to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi calling for sweeping changes in the party after that other leaders wrote letter supporting Sonia Gandhi. Thus again showing the infighting again in Congress party. However this is not the first time where the infighting is out in the open but this not the first time where infighting has occurred in the party, below are some of the instances where the fight was out in the open.
The Infighting: It’s Deep
The YOUNG LEADERS of Congress party, especially Deepender Singh Hooda and Jyotiraditya Scindia now a Rajya Sabha MP from BJP supported the abrogation of Art 370 that was against the stand of Congress Party who had opposed it.
Even in Rajasthan we saw the fight between two senior congress leaders, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Dy.CM Sachin Pilot.
In Maharashtra, the infighting in the party was out in open especially after Urmila Matondkar’s resignantion from Congress party. After she lost the lok sabha elections she wrote letter to Milind Deora the then chief of Mumbai Congress. She alleged lack of organizational support to her and infighting between the state leaders during the election. A lot of leaders have also left the party such as the then leader of opposition in the assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Abdul Sattar and Kripa Shankar Singh blaming the rift in Mumbai Congress and Maharshtra Congress for poll loss.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the convenor of NEDA (North-east Democratic alliance), appointed by BJP and a cabinet minister in Assam Government. He resigned from minister ship in Assam Government opposing Tarun Gogoi’s leadership back in July 2014. In August 2015, Himanta joined BJP.
ANALYSIS AND CONCULSION
The above instances show us the recent condition of the Congress party, the letters demanding changes in party and leaders coming out in open about it explains a lot about what’s going on in the party for a while now. No one can deny that the Grand Old party which was in power for a long period is going through a toughest face right now.
One has to have the realization that there has been a reason behind leaders opening up and speaking to the media.
The infighting impacts the performance of the party, Urmila Mantondkar who had complained after her loss in Lok Sabha elections that there was infighting and lack of organizational showed the infighting in party.
Comment that ‘Join another party’ or ‘ float a new one’ is uncessary in the times when party is facing a lot of issues.
The infighting of congress is out in media, even though it’s a party matter but such things affect the credibility hence the crisis must be looked upon with seriousness and be solved.
How the Congress president would look at it, would be interesting to watch. Will the party steps for revival or remain quiet is yet to be looked upon. The road is long ahead for congress.
Reference -:
3-https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/on-congress-leadership-ghulam-nabi-azads-rejoinder-to-kapil-sibal-2328755
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