The Hindu : Shuffling the same pack

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - Editorials

Shuffling the same pack

THE CHANGES BROUGHT about by the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, in the Working Committee as well as at other levels, fall into the same old command pattern that has guided the party's functioning in the past three decades. While the elevation of Ambica Soni and Ahmed Patel (among the youth who joined the fold in the 1970s) as general secretaries may be seen as replacing the old guard (Mahavir Prasad for instance), the fact is that both the new additions to the galaxy of general secretaries were indeed powerful aides of the party president even otherwise.

Hence their elevation as general secretaries, in this sense, conveys one simple message: loyalty and proximity to the high command pays. Mr. Patel's higher stature could also be seen as a signal to such veterans in the Gujarat unit of the Congress — Amar Singh Choudhry and Madhavsinh Solanki in particular — that the party high command does not consider them important enough. Effecting such a change involving a State unit that is being geared to fight a direct battle against the BJP would have a mixed effect.

Be that as it may, the Congress president has also anointed two new faces to the CWC. While the induction of Shivraj Patil could be seen as only natural (Mr. Patil happens to be the Deputy Leader of the party in the Lok Sabha), the recognition accorded to Vayalar Ravi, known for his stated position against some aspects of the liberalisation framework, is indeed significant. While it remains to be seen as to how much Mr. Ravi will manage to put forward his reservations over the liberalisation agenda within the CWC (after all the CWC is hardly known to have served as a forum for debate and deliberations in the past few years), his induction could add a new dimension to the internal dynamics of the party's State unit in Kerala. The public display of animosities between K. Karunakaran and the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, in recent months could well be rendered more complex with Mr. Ravi too being accorded a prominent place in the party structure in Delhi. Ms. Gandhi has left two more places in the 24-member CWC vacant and this could only be deliberate. The two slots are bound to remain an attraction to aspirants within the fold. The induction of Salman Khursheed, whom Ms. Gandhi removed sometime ago (as president of the Uttar Pradesh unit) as a "special invitee" to the CWC is indeed evidence of the party's unpredictable ways.

Similarly, the Congress president has left some such incongruities that were evident in the choice of AICC general secretaries in-charge of the State units. The case of Ramesh Chennithala, holding charge of the affairs of the Tamil Nadu unit, has been one such instance. Mr. Chennithala could hardly get out of his thinking on the political dynamics in Kerala where the left parties continue to be the adversaries. This certainly has come in the way of the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress working out an arrangement with the two left parties (the CPI in particular with whom the State unit has initiated talks keeping in view the coming byelections to three Assembly constituencies). This is true of Mr. Khursheed's induction too. The former chief of the Uttar Pradesh Congress unit was known for his animosity towards Mulayam Singh Yadav; by recognising him at this stage, the Congress president cannot stop the gap between her own party ranks (depleted to the minimum) in Uttar Pradesh and the cadre belonging to the Samajwadi Party from widening. Such a development, taking place at a time when the BJP is all set to form a Government in Uttar Pradesh (even if the party is reduced to a junior partner) along with the BSP is bound to hurt the Congress. Overall, one does not see the changes having a transformative effect on the party's functioning.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

Stories in this Section

Wake-up call in France

Shuffling the same pack

Gujarat and Parliament

Adivasis and the genocide

Centre should not be extra-sensitive

A quintessential liberal