THE Congress leadership is facing a crisis. Five state units are crumbling with internal dissensions. Narayan Rane of Maharashtra and Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam have resigned. Sarma may have had a shady past but they both held important portfolios in the state cabinets. Their protest is against their Chief Ministers but they had expressed dissent with Sonia and Rahul Gandhi also. Rane is said to have softened later before meeting Sonia Gandhi. However, other Congress leaders may also raise the standard of revolt before the next Assembly elections are around. The Congress did miserably in the Parliamentary elections in Haryana and Assam and hence there is a hue and cry about removing Bhupinder Hooda and Tarun Gogoi from their hot seats in their states. The Congress is in a mess in J&K. In West Bengal, three MLAs have left the Congress and joined the Trinamool Party. The Congress leadership seems to believe in the status quo. It does not think that removing Prithviraj Chavan and Tarun Gogoi befor the Assembly elections will serve any purpose. Rahul Gandhi and his following in the party are taking a passive attitude and losing their grassroots appeal. That certainly adds to the party’s troubles.
The BJP on the other hand is out to recast the organization. Amit Shah has proved to be a master strategist in UP. The BJP has made leadership changes with maximum effect. Does the Congress still believe in caste and patronage politics? The BJP believes that the Brahmin today is the backward communities. It is time for the Congress to do a rethink. What is encouraging is that rumours are afloat about a truce with the rebels in the Congress and the leadership is thinking up a plan. It is believed in many Congress circles that Gogoi has to go sooner or later.
