Fire of discontent rages in Congress | Economic Times

While India prepares to celebrate the 75th year of its Independence, the 135-year-old Congress, which won freedom for India, has completed two years of headless existence under interim president Sonia Gandhi, as her ‘reluctant’ son, Rahul, and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra zealously guard the family interests in the party leadership, amid unprecedented electoral and organisational reversals. They manage this by choreographing cries of “we want Gandhis” from CWC members, AICC general secretaries, secretaries, PCC chiefs, all of whose ‘nominated status’ renders their continuation at the sole discretion of the Congress president, unlike elected CWC and parliamentary board members who cannot be removed by a party boss.Despite this ‘you-nominate-I-support’ leadership arrangement, raging factional fights playing out in Congress units are live demonstrations of the party leaders’ frustration, resistance and hopelessness to a leadership which has been handling affairs under a fanciful theme of ‘generational shift’, ‘reining in’ entrenched leaders and promoting ‘Team Rahul-Priyanka’. ET takes a look at the war-within the Congress from Kerala to Jammu and Kashmir:KeralaEver since the Gandhis okayed ‘ambush’ of veterans Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala by unrolling a KC Venogopal-anchored ‘groupless leadership’ experiment, by propping up PCC chief K Sudhakaran and CLP Leader VD Satheesan, the factional fight has only intensified. As the new axis tries to end the Chandy-Chennithala grip on the Kerala party, the latter is fighting back to hold on.KarnatakaThe Siddaramaiah Vs DK Shivakumar fights dominate the Congress story in the state. With BJP banishing Yeddyurappa, the state Congress has lost its soft target and anti-corruption plank, something which had camouflaged the messy fight in the Congress. With Siddaramaiah and Shivkumar set to firm up their chief ministerial chances, the fight is set to intensify.Maharashtra & MumbaiAfter Team Rahul picked the BJP-returned Nana Patole as Maharashtra PCC head over ‘loyalists’, he took on his own allies in the MVA till AICC was forced by Sena-NCP to make him behave. His run-in with Congress ministers, including Nitin Raut, led to ‘news breaks’ and complaints.The intensified infighting in Mumbai Regional Congress Committee has progressed from Sanjay Nirupam Vs (the late) Gurudas Kamath to a running battle, culminating in Youth Congress working president Suraj Thakur quitting over differences with MRCC chief and Rahul’s talent hunt winner Bhai Jagtap. All this amid countdown to BMMC polls.GoaIn the politically slippery state, where the Congress has nearly half a dozen ex-CMs and ex-PCC chiefs, Team Rahul nominated Girish Chodankar, Chadrakanth Kavalkar and Chellakumar (now replaced with Dinesh Gundurao) as PCC chief, CLP leader and AICC in-charge, respectively, triggering resentment of seniors and defection of MLAs. Recently, senior Goa Congress leaders met Gandhi and demanded leadership change in the state.GujaratAfter the impressive Congress show in the last assembly polls, Rahul Gandhi picked his own team, distancing the unit from then leadership comprising many Ahmed Patel supporters. Amit Chavda, Paresh Dhani and Hardik Patel were nominated PCC chief, CLP leader and PCC working president and Rajiv Satav succeeded Ashok Gehlot as AICC in-charge. Since then, Gujarat Congress won zero LS seats in the last polls, was trounced in the recent three-tier local body poll and now remains leaderless amid defections, with many in-house rivals thumbing their nose at each other.RajasthanThe Ashok Gehlot Vs Sachin Pilot battle for supremacy is progressing only in the traditional way with the same result. After AICC in-charge Ajay Maken visited Jaipur in July to force the high command’s will for an ‘imminent’ Cabinet reshuffle, by holding one-one-one meet with MLAs, many Congress MLAs and ‘Independents’ crucial to the government’s stability warned the AICC against patronising ‘traitors’ and angering loyalists who guarded the Gehlot regime when BJP attempted a coup.PunjabThe eruption in Punjab Congress is seen as an example of how the Gandhis can create a crisis in the last-leg after many projected the party to win the forthcoming assembly polls. CM Amarinder Singh may have acquired many incumbency issues, yet Congress circles say he had never exposed the Gandhis the way Sidhu and his advisors did in a month. The issue is far from over.HaryanaThe CLP chief BS Hoods Vs PCC head Kumari Selja fight recently saw supporters of the former reaching AICC HQ and posting grievances on the organization with AICC General Secretary (Org.) and state in-charge. The fact they were indulged at AICC led to buzz that the double-edged Hooda camp may have the patronage of the Gandhis and Vadras. It is reported that Hooda wants his son to replace Selja as PCC chief even as ‘loyalist’ Selja’s supporters and her Dalit base are livid.UP and Bihar After UP Congress tanked further during Rahul-Priyanka led battles in the last assembly and LS polls under the tutelage of Prashant Kishor and Sandeep Singh, respectively, not many see a Congress revival before the assembly polls even as many traditional Congress leaders stand sacked and Jitin Prasada inaugurated defection from the party. Bihar AICC is stuck in a tug-of-war between Bihari leaders on whether to appoint a Dalit or upper caste nominee as PCC chief. The buzz is that a section of Bihar Congress MLAs may be vulnerable to Nitish Kumar’s focus on mopping up leaders to boost post-poll JDU numbers.Chhattisgarh Rahul Gandhi’s promise of a rotating chief ministership sowed seeds of trouble in a state where the Congress secured a two-thirds majority. TS Singh Deo has reason to feel aggrieved over the unkept promise and chief minister Bhupesh Baghel propping up rivals across Deo’s areas of influence in Dalit belts. AICC has offered Deo an upgraded portfolio and a favourably aligned PCC chief now, but Baghel has the tactical upper hand to remain CM or else rock the boat, given his bigger support among MLAs, his OBC base, the acquired resources and ‘obliged’ AICC managers. Yet, Rahul’s promise has lit a fire that is bound to be fanned by many players even as more Deo supporters among MLAs have reached Delhi.JharkhandAppointment of new PCC chief comes amid growing infighting in the Jharkhand Congress and visible signs of rebellion among party MLAs amid buzz of the BJP wooing some of them. How the AICC handles the situation would have a direct bearing on the stability of the Congress-partnered Shibu Soren-led coalition government.Assam and NortheastPost-assembly poll defeat, the Assam Congress is riven with infighting and defections of leaders and MLAs, including Rahul loyalist Sushmita Dev. Many NE states ruled by the BJP and allies are now in a phase of internal crisis, yet the Congress, ravaged by defection and infighting, is struggling to get its act right.Jammu and KashmirThe AICC needling Ghulam Nabi Azad, head of the Congress change seekers, has added a new dimension to the factional equations of J&K Congress, where Rahul had made a disciple-turned critic of Azad, Ghulam Mohd Mir, the PCC chief. Azad’s last two visits to J&K witnessed a show of strength by his supporters even as the veteran seems to be holding many cards to play both in J&K and within the Congress central leadership.