Congress: No Plan, No Interest To Revitalize The Party
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By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-02-17 06:12:51
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The India Commentary view
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Another senior leader has left the Congress party. Granted that Ashwani Kumar was not a leader with a mass following (how many in Congress actually are?) yet he was the youngest Solicitor General India has had and was law minister under Dr Manmohan Singh for a few months. Other than that he was a member of the Rajya Sabha. He was also perceived to be close to Sonia Gandhi.
Kumar has reiterated that the party leadership is letting matters drift and the party "has ceased to be the mouthpiece of national aspirations and does not promise a transformative leadership to the nation." He also said that "the internal processes of the party diminished individual leaders, which collectively debilitated the party. Hope for correctives stands belied."
This revelation is nothing new. Most other leaders who have quit the party have mouthed similar concerns. In fact, the same concerns have also been raised by the Group of 23 within the party. But as Kumar has said, correctives have not been applied indicating that either the top leadership does not have a plan to revitalize the party or is simply not interested.
With the regional parties also chipping away at the Congress and thinking of a joint opposition front without it, the party has to think of a strategy to remain relevant. As of now, it rules only in Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. If it loses in Punjab (as most opinion polls indicate), its footprint will further reduce. It can take heart from the fact that it has a strong presence in MP, Karnataka and Gujarat and work out a strategy to bring the party back on its feet. Instead of taking things one election at a time, a comprehensive plan should be drawn up for the revival. Indian democracy needs a strong opposition and the Congress has a major role to play in that. But the attitude of the party's top leadership is distressing.
