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Awaiting the Shakeout - Outlook

Ranjit Bhushan ()
May 4, 1998

Title: Awaiting the Shakeout
Author: Ranjit Bhushan
Publication: Outlook
Date: May 4, 1998

Given the sheer size of restructuring involved, the Congress has
rarely attempted anything like it. First the task force headed by
P.A. Sangma to literally redesign the AICC. Then four party
committees set up to analyse why the party fared so badly in UP,
Bihar, West Bengal, Karnataka, Orissa and Tamil Nadu in the Lok
Sabha elections. Also on the anvil are 17 different committees to
oversee crucial BJP ministries as hadows' and a plethora of sub-
committees. Indeed, in the weeks to come, the Congress seems well
on its way to changing colour-in the words of a CWC member, the
new guard cometh.

There is a good reason for that as well. Congress leaders,
particularly the ones regarded close to Sonia Gandhi, see a deep
chasm between those in the party who want changes quickly as
opposed to those who do not seem to be in a hurry as there are no
deadlines to be met. Says party vice-president Jitendra Prasada:
"The need of the hour is to galvanise the party. If left for too
long, there develops an inertia." But could a sweeping change-
like shaking up the CWC and other party outfits-leave out Prasada
as well? "It is highly likely," he concedes and is candid enough
to admit that any change would mean that the old guard has to
make way.

While most Congress leaders prefer not to voice their thoughts,
the consensus within the party seems to be veering around to the
induction of younger leaders to crucial positions, especially the
CWC. The names doing the rounds for induction into the CWC are
Rajesh Pilot, Purno Sangma and Sushil Shinde. Persons likely to
"fall out of favour" include the old guard, Pranab Mukerjee,
Prasada (who may be given another important position), R.K.
Dhawan, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Meira Kumar (who is tipped to head
the Mahila Congress).

The imminent changes have many backers. Says Makhan Lal Fotedar,
once a key Rajiv aide and now in a bit of political wilderness:
"The party needs a leader, which it now has. It is only proper
that new people are inducted."

According to well-placed sources in the Congress, some indication
of what is on Sonia's mind can be gauged from the interim report
submitted by the task force last fortnight. She reportedly does
not favour an official number two in the party, something that is
not designed to please the older leaders. The younger leaders in
the party are generally upbeat. And they have reason to be.
Following in the footsteps of Rajiv who attempted to mobilise
camps, particularly in the rural areas among young men and women
through his Nehru Yuvak Kendras and National Literacy Missions,
Sonia favours a large shot of young blood.

The task force report-compiled under the chairmanship of Sangma
with help from Sharad Pawar, Arjun Singh, Manmohan Singh, Ahmed
Patel and A.K. Antony-proposed that a five-member committee be
constituted to recommend amendments in the party constitution to
make it compatible for a wider spectrum, especially women and
weaker classes. The task force recommendations are expected to
change the party from top to bottom-from suggesting the setting
up of a research and training institute which could function as a
think tank to changing the century-old seating arrangements at
the CWC into a modern corporate entity.

Points out a senior Congress leader: "There is a feeling that
some of the older men in the party owing allegiance to various
satraps like Sitaram Kesri or even Sharad Pawar might
deliberately tender wrong advice on how to run the party
organisation. Some people in the party will be more than keen to
see Sonia's efforts go up in smoke." According to him, these are
the same people who are now keen to see the Congress make a bid
for power. "With the numbers in the Lok Sabha, the BJP government
can be quite easily upset, but Madam is not keen. These leaders
are not willing to wait."

Quite apart from the fact that the Congress and their allies
currently do not have the numbers to upset the BJP-led
government, just how important it is to bring changes in the
state units was evident during Sonia's recent trip to Champaran
in Bihar. That the rally was a disaster is no longer a topic of
debate, but the way it was handled suggests the patterns of
things to come. According to a senior Congress leader from Bihar,
at the Patna airport only five persons were cleared by security
to receive the party president. Despite being told about her trip
several days in advance, some partymen-allegedly under the
tutelage of senior state leader Radhanandan Jha-ensured that no
venue was fixed. Two venues were mentioned, confusing the scene
and ultimately the meeting was held at a chosen spot designed to
accommodate upwards of five lakh people. When the rally started,
there were just a few thousand.

Observers point out that changes in the party structure would
have to be real changes, not cosmetic ones. In Madhya Pradesh,
for instance, senior party leaders are already demanding that the
responsibility for the poll failures should rest with the state
government of the day. Some indication of this came in Pilot's
report submitted to the high command. It is said to have blamed
the distribution of party tickets and the incessant Congress
bugbear-internecine, often fatal, infighting. Madhavrao Scindia
told Outlook that though he had not seen Pilot's report on the
state, "some moral responsibility must rest with the executive,
not Digvijay Singh in particular".

Singh, on the other hand, told reporters in Delhi that only
"heavyweights from the state were opposing him while 80 per cent
of the MLAs were with him". There could be an element of truth
in that assertion because Madhya Pradesh is due for assembly
elections later this year and a new chief minister may lead to
problems for the party in a state where voters traditionally
favour a Congress-led government. A Narora-style meeting is also
expected to be held in Madhya Pradesh to formulate a clear-cut
party line.

The report of K. Karunakaran and K.K. Tewary on the Orissa
debacle is also along similar lines. After talking with a cross
section of partymen, the committee felt that part of the blame
should be placed at the doorstep of chief minister J.B. Patnaik
for unwise distribution of tickets and intense infighting. The
situation in Bhuvaneshwar became so bad that even while the
committee was conducting its hearing, partymen opposed to and
favoured by Patnaik came to blows over the question of who did
more for the Congress. While that issue is unlikely to be
resolved in a hurry, Sonia is said to be working out a new deal
for the state PCC. Among the names doing the rounds for the top
job are veteran Congressman Giridhar Gomango, who is known for
his prowess with the flute.

Trouble for Sonia can come from unexpected quarters. In
Bangalore, little-known Congressman Basavraj Patil demanded the
dismissal of Sonia-aide Vincent George over his "unchallenged and
exclusive" access to the party president. Patil upped the ante
when he alleged that George was promoting the interests of only
the Christian community in the Congress. Patil's charge: George
would he nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka. He demanded
that Christian rootless wonders-Sangma, Fernandes and Margaret
Alva-be removed if the party is to be revived. While Patil did
not mention Antony, his name is also being bandied about as part
of the great Christian conspiracy. According to Patil, while
Sangma was heading the task force over the heads of Pawar and
Arjun Singh, both of whom were senior ministers in the Narasimha
Rao cabinet while Sangma was a junior, Fernandes was nominated to
the Rajya Sabha. It was only after this that Sonia publicly
stated that no one else who lost elections would be nominated to
the Upper House. Others would argue that Sangma cannot be
dismissed a 'junior', given his emergence as a leader of stature.

In the days to come, the party will be analysing its position on
alliances as well. Clearly there are two lines of thought on the
subject: the Sonia line which is circumspect on the question of
alliances and the Sharad Pawar line which stresses that alliances
are here to stay. Pawar quotes the example of Maharashtra to show
how the Shiv Sena was hammered comprehensively with the help of
the Republican Party of India. The real action would begin when
Sonia executes the changes recommended. Because that could throw
up a new Congress leadership all over the country, something that
the party could do well with.


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