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| Edited By: DNA |Source: DNA |Updated: Dec 15, 2018, 07:00 AM IST
The wait is over after a prolonged behind-the-scenes power tussle: Ashok Gehlot, the veteran Congressman, who has twice been Rajasthan’s chief minister, is back in the saddle to head the state government.
Clearly, he wasn’t an obvious choice because had there been clarity in the Congress camp, Gehlot’s name would have featured right after the elections results were declared. A much younger Sachin Pilot was also in the race. So regardless of what party insiders say that Pilot was slated to play No. 2, the decision wasn’t smooth since both contenders had taken to hectic lobbying.
It was an encounter between the old and the new guard — Pilot being only 41 years of age is the young face of the party. Congress President Rahul Gandhi had apparently been democratic in the interim, seeking views from party workers as well as elected legislators before taking the final call.
In Chhattisgarh, the battle for the CM post had got tougher as state party chief Bhupesh Baghel, leader of Opposition in outgoing assembly TS Singh Deo, OBC leader Tamradhwaj Sahu and party veteran Charan Das Mahant had jumped into the ring.
These battles suggest that the internecine rivalry within the Congress is alive and well, which, in turn, strengthens the position of the party command, which takes full advantage of these squabbles by becoming a peacemaker.
The history of the Congress is littered with instances of how the Gandhi family had weakened leaderships in the states to handpick leaders loyal to the family for key posts. The Congress of course has always maintained that it is the tradition of the party that elected representatives choose their own leader. But, in a post poll scenario, choosing one leader over the other can also end up antagonising the rival faction.
No one leader in any of the four states can be credited with achieving victory, which makes the selection process a difficult exercise. The Congress’s strategy is simple: Laying the groundwork for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. But, given the imperatives, how did Kamal Nath fit the bill of CM in Madhya Pradesh?
His engagement with the state politics has been tenuous at best. Moreover, in a state where agrarian distress had apparently cost the BJP dearly, how is Nath, perceived to be a pro-industry man, deemed ideal for the challenges ahead?
Moreover, his role in the 1984 Sikh riots has returned to haunt him and Rahul Gandhi who had reposed faith in the Gandhi family loyalist. In fact, many say that had Jyotiraditya Scindia been declared as CM contender during the campaign, the Congress would have fared much better.
Gandhi has to do a balancing act in order to keep the herd together and maintaining the morale — while effecting a generational shift in party leadership, he also needs to keep the veterans happy. His choice in Nath and Gehlot has mostly to do with their potential to stitch alliances with other parties. However, at this point, it appears that despite the victories, the Congress lacks discipline. By taking so much time to choose CMs, Gandhi is squandering away precious time. His party needs to get its act together because governance is suffering.
