Now that the Congress Working Committee is over, what’s next for both the letter writers and the Congress leadership? Well, let’s talk about the latter first. There is a feeling that both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have emerged stronger after the letter bomb. The sevenhour CWC did not discuss the issues that were raised by the dissenters; instead, it became a marathon show of strength for the Gandhi family with speaker after speaker imploring one or the other to take charge. The decision to hold an AICC session and elections to the post of Congress president within six months suits Rahul Gandhi for an election would add more credibility to his return as party chief than a mere nomination. As for his earlier claim that he would like to see a non-Gandhi emerge as the next party chief, well, an election gives him the safety net of not going back on his word. What is also interesting is that he did not repeat this sentiment this time around. So, Rahul is all set to take office once again.
In the meantime, organisational changes are on the cards and could happen anytime soon. Sources claim this could include four new vice presidents, a complete rehaul and reshuffle of the general secretaries and also changes at the PCC levels. Names such as Randeep Surjewala, K.C. Venugopal, Sushmita Dev, Rajeev Satav, Manickam Tagore, K. Raju, Bhanwar Jitender Singh, Ajay Maken, Madhu Yaskhi Goud, Sachin Pilot along with state leaders such as D.K. Shivkumar, Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Bhaghel will be the new Camelot so to speak. And of course the undefined role of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as Rahul’s “Sankat Mochan” (trouble shooter-in-chief) will only increase. The big question remains about Ahmed Patel, but anyone trying to write him off in a Rahul era would only be underestimating this seasoned player. Ahmed will retain his importance, no matter what post comes his way.
Where does this leave the letter writers? Well, it remains to be seen if one of them will pick up the gauntlet and contest against Rahul Gandhi. The tragedy here is that in the attempt to shoot the messenger, the issues that had been raised by them were not debated. Also, one cannot categorise them in just one group of Old Timers or former UPA ministers, because it’s a mixed lot. Yes, perhaps Ghulam Nabi Azad was worried about his Rajya Sabha tenure not being renewed and Anand Sharma about Malikarjun Kharge being made the leader of the Rajya Sabha instead of him. How does that explain Manish Tewari, Milind Deora, Sandeep Dikshit or Jitin Prasada’s angst? They all have their political innings before them and not all of them are heading to the BJP, contrary to the CWC narrative. What about Shashi Tharoor and Mukul Wasnik, both of whom enjoyed the confidence of the party leadership, down to the fact that Wasnik was being considered as one of those “Non-Gandhi” faces who could emerge as the proxy party chief. Why did they sign this letter? Bhupender Hooda is on a comeback trail in Haryana, he clearly feels stifled by Camp Rahul but what does he gain by joining the BJP? He is better off floating his own regional outfit and tapping into the discontented Chautalas. Which brings me back to the spirit and content of the letter. Though one has not seen it, one has heard about the issues that were raised. Which is a pity because not only were the issues valid, there were also echoes of what most Congress leaders have been whispering ever since the 2014 loss. Ask any Congress reporter and they will tell you how leaders have been bemoaning the string of electoral losses, the lack of a credible narrative to counter Modi, elections and a more participatory leadership. Only until now these were off the record grumblings but these have now been put to paper. And for this, the letter writers will have to pay the price, for expect no RSVPs here. Which brings up the question: Who leaked the letter to the media?
The writers claim that they have nothing to gain by making it public as it only sabotages their prospects within the party. They say that a copy of the letter was sent to Sonia’s office (after checking that she was back home from the hospital). And after that Sonia probably shared it with her advisors. Could one of these have leaked this to the media and thereby ensure that the issues raised do not get discussed but the writers get discredited?
Well, this is certainly not the last word on this. One silver line is that the letter saga has provided an opportunity for the much needed churn to take place within the Congress. Better now than post-elections 2024.
