How will the Congress cure itself after finding itself at the crossroads? Forget about taking on the likes of Narendra Modi-led regime at the Centre, the party has totally been routed, dribbled and decimated as an alternative for people. Alliances are not helping the party’s reputation either way — a case in point is their unholy alliance with the right leaning Shivsena in Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar has to always engage and involve himself at every point to keep the dharma of the coalition conducive and intact, and maintain the letter and spirit of a Common Minimum Programme.
In Maharashtra, not everything is fine with the Congress President Balasaheb Thorat and his hold over the party’s organisation and structure that undermines the existence and morale of party functionaries, cadres and workers. Though the Congress has been vocal about its disapproval of the Shivsena’s efforts to rename Aurangabad as Sambhaji Nagar for pleasing its base, this opposition was shortlived as not everyone was on board.
Why is the Congress not able to express itself politically than ideologically? Its fractional feuds and spats are tarnishing and troubling its prospects. Shouldn’t they let go off their differences in personal views and opinions and instead function in their capacity as the party’s representative?
I believe that leaders within the Congress party should own up to their duty and chance to iron out their issues through channels of communication and dialogue. This would surely compel them to mend their code and conduct before anything. Even in Bihar, the party unit has been pushed to a corner and has found itself delusioned and despaired as Bihar Congress Chief Shri Madan Mohan Jha lacks the ability, action and conviction to take everyone along and has failed to arouse and inspire the party cadres.
Who knows if this is the end of the road for the party in Bihar? The party’s MLAs have already started shifting their loyalties. I am to understand that for the Gandhis, it is but crucial to undertake a systematic overhauling of the party unit and its organisation and structure at the grassroots rather than relying on a centralised command that would, in the course of time, weaken the party further. The Gandhis should know that politics is premised on objective reality and not wholly on subjective wisdom. You may be rational privately, but in politics, one has to be morally rational.
Don’t we have the illustrations of Gandhi, Nehru, Tagore and Vivekananda? Well, it’s up to the bosses to pick their purchases.