The scripted Congress Working Committee met yesterday, the morning session bringing forth no solution to the vexed search of a new president to head the Congress party. Though Sonia Ji and Rahul announced that they would not attend the meeting, they could not stay away either, lest things not go as scripted. The committee met yet again in the evening and finally re-elected Sonia Gandhi as its interim president. Shri Motilal Vora was elected as the interim president just the other day and therefore the party did not lack an interim president at all.
Political parties too are like corporates, the rat race discernible with aspiring leaders, youth and the elderly both. Leaders like Tharoor floated the idea of elections in all regions, while the suaver quietly building their support base and votes if there be an election. Ashok Gehlot, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot and Jitin Prasada were a few names around in the political circles as the probable.
Rahul Gandhi’s resignation itself was theatrics. There were loud orchestrated choruses, pleading Rahul to continue as the president and reassuring the scion that his poll campaign was unparalleled. I consider Rahul’s election campaign as nasty and filled with negativity. I do not remember Modi, but remember Rahul and his ‘chowkidar chor hai,’ poll rhetorics. The drama of his party men asking Rahul to continue as the president itself had revealed the hollow trunk of the Congress tree.
Rahul surprisingly was firm on his resignation. The other day, before the elections, he did not hide his desire to become the PM of India, if Congress got elected with a majority. I guess there were issues with him, which the home ministry must have been privy to. There could have been a quid pro quo between Congress and the BJP over Congress party dispensing off with Rahul as its president.
Sonia had led the party for long and stepped aside due to ill health. The party men should’ve left her at peace, but the taste of power is impossible to resist as Sonia reluctantly accepted the post of an ‘interim’ president of the party. There is no whisper of the other interim- Motilal Vora in any of the party communique. For now, she leads is the summary.
Rahul dramatically came out of the CWC meeting, announcing that scores have died in J& K after the alteration of the status of the state, a lie! Incidentally, many of his party leaders have supported the government on its Kashmir move. The Rajya Sabha whip had even resigned from Congress, in disgust over the party’s stand.
I have been continuously maintaining that the role of an opposition is no lesser than the ruling party. There are issues internal and local. There could be issues like Art 370 and Kashmir, which have a significant ramification involving our country’s image and standing. Talking, therefore, like our enemies would do, or like a few paid media would do, does not improve the situation a bit. On the contrary, it gives the adversaries to quote such irresponsible statements in the international forums, embarrassing our nation.
But Rahul being Rahul, and the present Congress being what it is, can we expect anything better?
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
