A soul-searching exercise lasting ten days is currently under way in the Congress party. It started with a meeting this weekend by the top-three family members with the dissidents, or those who have openly expressed dissatisfaction with the present state and styles of the party leadership. It is too early to say whether these discussions will help achieve the desired results.
The “family” comprising Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka is still in a mood to run the party affairs between them and collectively. They would do so in one form or the other. There is every hint that no major change is contemplated. Rahul Gandhi has said he is willing to take a more active role – a step-up from the state that he is currently in; of blowing hot and cold. Until the time Rahul Gandhi steps in, Sonia seemed ready to hold on. By the end of the month – and year— more clarity on this could be expected.
Notably, the group of 23 who sought organizational elections through a letter in August have not given up hope. Senior parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor, former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and former party spokesperson Manish Tewari used the occasion to stress that the “nomination culture” in the Congress should end and organisational polls must take place. Former Union minister P Chidambaram too took a similar stand. How far the “family” would be willing to reconcile with the dissidents’ push for internal democracy is what will ultimately decide the future of the grand old party.
The nomination culture, not new anyway to the Congress establishment, has progressively reduced the inner spirit of the organisation and leaders of real merit have not been allowed to come up within the party. With the result, many state units are dysfunctional and not able to electorally equip the party to winning propositions. Fact is also that organisational elections, if allowed, will weaken the hold of the family over the party.
Significantly, Rahul Gandhi held his own views about the organisational conduct and in some respects sounded realistic; as in the weak positioning of the party in Tamil Nadu where those like P Chidambaram have not been able to keep the party in good form but are waxing eloquent on all other matters. A big question is also whether Rahul Gandhi will take up the president’s post again or allow the present drag to continue. From the initial phase of the discussions, it is clear that the family is in no mood for any big change in the topmost rung of the party.
