Salman Khurshid has shown the way by pointing out the weaknesses of his own Congress party. It is a departure from the conspiracy of silence about the party’s shortcomings at the top level. True, the defeat of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh must have prompted him to come out in the open. The Union Law minister has been on the defensive since the debacle. The UPA’s main fault is that it is blind to its own failings and tries to put the blame on other factors- the global economic slowdown, for instance. It also tries to reassure itself by drawing attention to the BJP’s problems. Khurshid has pinpointed the disarray and disability in his own organization which is forever pussyfooting about making decisions and carrying out necessary reforms. The leader, Sonia Gandhi dictates from behind the scenes. Khurshid’s comments should trigger a debate in the ruling Congress. It cannot put everything on hold in a “period of waiting”. When the party took office in 2004, it was decided to go for power-sharing giving Sonia Gandhi the charge of policy making and Manmohan Singh the responsibility to govern. The UPA has failed to maintain the balance. Economic reforms have suffered such as FDI in retail, among others. Coalition mismanagement has botched up whatever action was envisaged.
Khurshid is looking forward to Rahul Gandhi taking up the reins. Rahul Gandhi should make up his mind, broaden his political engagement on a permanent basis, steer the party on course and reorganize the government, he thinks. But Rahul had taken a mauling in the assembly elections in UP at his favourite constituency, Amethi. He will take long to live down this disgrace and to entrench himself in the party organization, if he at all can. The Congress cannot wait that long for rejuvenation.