How Far Congress Reshuffle Will Help Defeat Modi Is Uncertain

By Arun Srivastava

Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s moves certainly did not amount to a major organisational reshuffle nor was it a step forward to revive the party. It was an inconsequential exercise based on which the leadership cannot aspire to take the BJP head-on in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

That said, the urgency to bring about critical organisational reforms was felt for a long time as the leadership was perceived to lack vision and incapable to evolve a mechanism to counter the politics of the Sangh Parivar. To presume moving pawns would empower the Congress was only conjecture.

Two actions, the relocation of Sachin Pilot to Chhattisgarh and relieving Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the UP charge have nonetheless aroused interest. Top Congress leaders are scratching their heads. What is Rahul Gandhi’s plan of action? By shifting Pilot to Chhattisgarh, has Rahul given a free hand to Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan?

With that Rahul has depicted his lack of understanding of the ground realities that dictate the dynamics of a state’s politics. It would be wrong to believe that Pilot’s removal would put an end the traditional rivalry between the Meena and the Gujjar. On the contrary, the battle will intensify further. The Gujjar haven’t reconciled to the humiliation of their leader, yet.

It was the electoral importance of the Gujjars that Narendra Modi devoted maximum thrust to by projecting “Sachin” as an issue. Modi fed the narrative that the Congress in Rajasthan had thrown out Sachin Pilot “like a fly from the milk”, just like how his father Rajesh Pilot was treated. Bringing up Sachin Pilot’s caste identity was typical Modi, shrewd and impromptu cut to the chase.

Modi projected Pilot as the victim and with that implied that the Congress had insulted the Gujjar community. “They had insulted Gujjars in the past and they are doing it even now,” Modi drawled, accusing the Congress of victimising Sachin due to rancour about his father’s challenge to the Congress leadership. Rahul cannot assume or be sure that Modi would not raise this issue again.

As for Priyanka being divested of the Uttar Pradesh responsibility is being seen as passing over the baton for ensuring smooth ties with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav whose antipathy for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her style of functioning is an open secret. The conflict between the two parties during the May assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh has further cut into the trust factor.

Priyanka never really responded to Akhilesh’s recommendations. The defeat of the SP-Congress alliance in 2017 had strained relations between the two leaders. In the 2022 assembly elections, the SP had refused to have any understanding with the Congress and SP leaders blame Priyanka’s aide Sandeep Singh, a former Leftist student leader from JNU, for the poor performance.

Even Congress leaders confide that Sandeep was a problem person and though Priyanka, who was given charge of Uttar Pradesh in 2019, put up a brave fight, the party could not perform well and it just about managed to win one Lok Sabha and two Assembly seats.

It was in such a backdrop that Rahul was compelled to remove Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from UP, for the sake of the INDIA bloc. Some SP leaders believe certain close associates of Priyanka are working against the interest of their party. To substantiate, they cite Congress’ Uttar Pradesh chief Ajay Rai’s statements of “going it alone in the Lok Sabha elections”.

This angered SP leaders who had been promised by Rahul Gandhi of an alliance under the INDIA umbrella. But not many believe the SP allegations levelled against Priyanka, who is aware that the Congress, in its present state, cannot challenge the SP. The Congress has a smaller existence in UP and antagonising the SP will only help the BJP.

Meanwhile, rumours float that Priyanka Gandhi has been relieved of Uttar Pradesh to field her as the INDIA bloc candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi. Note that the name of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also been doing the rounds as the INDIA candidate from Varanasi.

Moving away from Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, some Congress leaders say party is on the path of resurgence with Dalit and Muslims returning to the Congress fold, so negotiations should be held on “equal terms” with the Samajwadi Party. The leaders espousing this line are mostly upper caste and have “feudal”. Instead of allying with the Yadavs of SP, they prefer Mayawati’s BSP. The BSP’s presence in INDIA would help get Dalit votes across India.

It is upper caste feudal arrogance that has been damaging the party. “We have recovered significantly and the Muslims have made up their mind to vote Congress. If the SP is thinking of dismissing us with 5-10 seats, there will be no alliance. Our ongoing yatra is getting excellent response. All this is not being done for 5-10 seats. We will not settle for anything less than 20 seats.”

“Relocation” just after the two-day CWC meeting will send a message to the BJP and to the other opposition parties. Even to Congress leaders at various levels that the leadership is alive to the needs of the party and is working to change the political narrative. Most leaders and cadres do not agree and they have every right. Rahul Gandhi has not kept his promises to bring about basic ideological reforms and entrust crucial tasks to young leaders.

Older leaders like outgoing general secretary Tariq Anwar, Bhakta Charan Das, Harish Chaudhary, Rajani Patil and Manish Chatrath have been dropped but many others have been pulled out of cold storage and entrusted with important assignments. Most of them have been loyal to the Nehru-Gandhi family.

The constitution of the 16-member manifesto committee, chaired by P Chidambaram, for the 2024 Lok Sabha election is also flawed. It has become a rehabilitation centre for those who have lost political relevance with no connect to the grassroots.

And it does not appear that relocating the heads has enthused cadres and leaders ahead of the December 28 Nagpur rally. As the Congress kickstarts its Lok Sabha election campaign with the rally on its foundation day, with Rahul Gandhi embarking on yet another Bharat Jodo Yatra, the mood should have been upbeat, but it looks somewhat gloomy.

The leaders at the grassroots level are wary of the BJP/RSS electoral strategy. They feel the Congress leadership must have revamped the organisation at the base level to take on the BJP. Unfortunately, people who failed the party continue to call the shots. The message of the first Bharat Jodo Yatra hasn’t yet fully reached the grassroots. The Congress continues to be a party of the rich and wealthy with no connect to the common people. (IPA Service)