From leadership crisis to confused ideology, the Congress is currently grappling with every possible problem a political party can ever face. As focus has shifted from the Covid-19 pandemic to politics, the infighting in several state units is back to haunt the high command of the grand old party.
The Congress seems to be staring at an imminent revolt in Punjab, where cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu is not ready to relent charge against own party’s Chief Minister Captain Amarindar Singh. Apart from Sidhu, Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Singh Bajwa, party MLA Pargat Singh and many others are miffed with Captain on various issues ranging from style of working to lack of action against former CM Parkash Singh Badal and his family in the sacrilege case.
The 3-member panel, chaired by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, formed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to douse the flames, has not yielded fruitful results as daggers are still out amongst party leaders. Taking things in own hands, Rahul Gandhi is now meeting Punjab leaders to mitigate differences amongst various camps.
The Rajasthan Congress unit too is badly divided and now cracks are coming to fore in this arid land too. Recently, Sachin Pilot camped for four days in the national capital, after sharing his displeasure with English daily as “nothing was done to resolve his issues”.
As per the Pilot camp, when he was about to desert the Congress, he and his loyal MLAs were promised “respectable position” within the party but nothing materialised.
Pilot camp had told The Daily Guardian that the young leader was hopeful that the party would address his grievances and the matter would be resolved soon.
All is not well in Maharashtra Pradesh Congress committee too, where the party is sharing power with the NCP and the Shiv Sena. The state leadership is almost split over support to the Uddhav Thackeray government, wherein leaders, part of cabinet such as Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut are in favour of running the government, while leaders like Nana Patole and Sanjay Nirupam keep to leave the alliance. The party high command is yet to clarify its position on the matter.
The newest entrant into problematical states is Karnataka, where senior leader D.K. Shivkumar recently met state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and Rahul Gandhi. As per sources, Kumar lodged his protest over the party giving prominence to former CM Siddaramaiah in party matters.
If sources are to be believed, Kumar wants the Congress to project him as the next CM candidate for the next elections, while the party is insisting on Siddaramaiah.