Terminally Ill Grand Old Party Needs A Miracle To Come To Power At New Delhi

Power hungry party leaders are the greatest enemy of the Congress party. Undoubtedly, there are power hungry in every party but they don't harm the party the way Congress leaders do. That's why it is said that "Congress is itself its biggest enemy". Look at the latest happenings. In all three states- Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh- where party is in power on its own. rebellion against state leadership in all these states is at its peak.

Chhattisgarh is the latest state where top party leaders are too impatient to grab the chief minister post. It is said Congress came to power in December 2018, Bhupesh Baghel and two senior party leaders TS Singh Deo and Tamradhwaj Sahu were the leading contenders for the Chief Minister post. Then two-and-a-half-year power-sharing formula for the chief minister's post but he didn't leave the post leading to discontent among leading contenders.

Chhattisgarh apart, the deep fissures in Punjab Congress are just enervating the party ahead of Assembly polls due early next year. All efforts of party top leadership seem going in drain or is it that party top leadership's design to tame the powerful state leader Capt. Amarinder Singh. Congress has a history of cutting growing powerful state leaders to the size.

The differences between Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu came out in the open after Sidhu threatened to bring a resolution in the Assembly if power purchase agreements with private companies are not cancelled and sealed reports submitted to the HC regarding synthetic drug cases are not made public.

Sidhu's statements over the power issue against the Congress-led government in Punjab once again left the high command in red-faced. Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, lodged a protest against Sidhu To Sonia Gandhi when he he met her on August 10. Amarinder Singh told the party high command that Sidhu’s statements are harming the party.

In Rajasthan, the power tussle between rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot continues unabated despite Congress high command truce efforts. It may be recalled that Pilot had openly rebelled against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot after Pilot with some lawmakers supporting him made a bid to join hands with BJP to topple the Congress govt. Chief Minister Gehlot had accused Pilot of hobnobbing with the BJP and it was widely speculated that he would quit the Congress along with 18 loyal MLAs. But he had to bite the dust After Gehlot foiled his bid. He is still sulking after he was sacked as the Deputy CM of Rajasthan as well as the Congress’ state unit chief on 14 July 2020.and waiting for the opportunity to settle the scores.

There is an impression that Grand Old Party is in terminal decline. Its neither able to function with the Gandhis nor do without them. A weak central leadership has emboldened regional satraps and the party organisation is in disarray, with no counter to either the electoral shenanigans of the BJP or its divisive political discourse. As now now there is little hope for Grand Old Party?

(Chander Sharma)