The fierce intra-party conflict within the Congress, and its consequent defeat in the BMC elections, is a testament to the failure of the political leadership in the organisation.
The fierce intra-party conflict within the Congress, and its consequent defeat in the BMC elections, is a testament to the failure of the political leadership in the organisation.
While chief minister Prithviraj Chavan failed to keep the party united, Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) chief Kripashankar Singh was morally unacceptable to the elected members MPs/MLAs and senior officials in the city.
The Congress could win only 53 seats out of the 169 contested because of its own destructive politics, where individual interest overtook teamwork. In the 2007 elections, the party won 71 seats.
A faction within the Congress has already demanded a change of leadership in the state and Mumbai Congress. A senior AICC functionary admits, “Chavan was our best bet for Mumbai. But now we are caught in a dilemma. Can he steer the Congress to the 2014 assembly elections?”
The debate will intensify in the coming days. However, the TINA factor (there is no alternative) may work to Chavan’s advantage for some time. In a candid admission, Prithviraj Chavan said, “Yes, I take responsibility for the BMC defeat. I accept the verdict of the people.”
Chavan’s overconfidence that the Congress-NCP alliance would dislodge the 17-year rule of the Shiv Sena-BJP-RPI in Mumbai completely misfired, as he underestimated the undercurrents of rebellion within his own party. A close aide of the Mumbai chief admits, “It was virtually Kripashankar Singh versus the rest in the Congress.”
From Priya Dutt (MP) to Sanjay Nirupam (MP), everybody was hurt by Singh, and Chavan, who is new to Mumbai politics, could not set the Congress house in order.
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