Grand old issue
The leadership crisis that has bedeviled the Congress for over a year now, mostly simmering at the surface, has again spurted, causing a stir in the party that has been struggling to remain in the reckoning ever since its boat was rocked by the ascendancy of the Modi-led BJP in 2014. This follows Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s comment on her brother Rahul Gandhi’s views on the Congress leadership in an interview to the authors of a new book on the country’s future leaders. Priyanka too has said that the party should have a non-Gandhi at the helm and that she would have no reservations in accepting his or her leadership.
Ever since Rahul Gandhi quit as the grand old party’s president after the second successive poll debacle in the General Election last May, he has firmly stood his ground, bucking repeated demands by senior Congress leaders to retract his resignation. However, since that did not lead to the election or selection of a non-Gandhi leader acceptable to the faction-ridden AICC, Sonia Gandhi was chosen as the interim party chief last August. The matter has remained in limbo, necessitating her continuation even a year later. The vacuum at the top has rendered the second-most important party in the country a rudderless one.
Any further delay in the smooth transition of power and the passing on of the baton will push the directionless organisation further adrift in the choppy political waters. A clear hierarchy must be established if it has to stay relevant. The Congressmen must arrive at a decision on a leader — whether it is a Gandhi, a non-Gandhi, a young Turk or a veteran. A strong Opposition is an essential element for a healthy democracy. The grand old party that has won the confidence of the electorate for a major chunk of the post-Independence period owes it to the people to get its act together. It would be a pity if the Congress were to squander away its rich legacy. With various names popping up regularly for a possible president, it is apparent that there is no dearth of experienced persons of political acumen and administrative qualities ready to take on the leadership mantle.
