It’s to be a departure from recent past and instead of Zoom, it will now be using WebEx for video conferencing the meet to tide over the fear of hacking. The last time Sonia Gandhi met Rajya Sabha MPs, the incident left a bad experience. So this time, the Congress is taking no chances and the ID for the meeting will be given to the participants just before it begins.
Ironically, the fear of leak or hacking is not from China, Pakistan or even the BJP. It’s from within the party as the Congress faces a crisis of leadership and voices that were silent or reticent till now have started becoming vocal. At such a time, the last thing the top Congress leadership would want is for their internal strife to be made public.
However, the change in the means of conducting the meeting cannot put a lid on the crisis that the CWC could address. The biggest problem remains that of leadership. Most leaders in private and, some publicly, have complained that Congress has lost its steam; that it cannot fight the Modi juggernaut and the listlessness means soon Congress could be eased out of the national narrative. Apart from many leaving the party, those who stayed behind and are with the Congress often wonder what’s happening.
Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari and Rajiv Satav are a few who have raised their voice against this.
The problem before Sonia Gandhi remains the reluctance of Rahul Gandhi to take charge. When recently, a year-old interview of Priyanka Vadra to a book surfaced in which she said she agreed with her brother on a non-Gandhi Congress president, there were alarm bells in the party. The Congress officially made a statement to say the old interview was being used to push an agenda and party workers and leaders accept Rahul Gandhi as their leader.
At the CWC, it’s quite possible more voices may come up asking for Rahul Gandhi to take charge as it’s clear that Sonia Gandhi wants to hand over the reins. But what if he remains adamant? There is a proposal in place which could be implemented.
There could be appointment of more than two vice-presidents to assist Sonia Gandhi. This is to address the concern that Congress needs a full-time president. But such an appointment could also ensure that Gandhis remain in control and the party continues to be headed by one of them, in this case Sonia Gandhi. Names which are doing the rounds are of Ghulam Nabi Azad, P Chidambaram and Mallikarjun Kharge, but it’s quite possible that young leaders could be propped up.
This apart, many new faces could be brought in for key posts and most of them are perceived to be close to Rahul Gandhi. Sushmita Dev and Manickam Tagore are some names doing the rounds.
It would also be interesting to see whether Sachin Pilot is brought to the centre. While Pilot has made it clear that he sees Rajasthan as his ‘karam bhumi’ and CM Ashok Gehlot doesn’t want to leave the state yet, the Congress leadership could bring in Pilot to buy time till the committee submits its report.
The caveat for all this is, of course, that the Congress needs to have the urge to solve this turmoil. For now, the restlessness becomes tough to ignore. Some like Jitin Prasada have formed a Brahmin Samaj and this is to capitalise on the 12% Brahmin vote bank which his party doesn’t seem to be concentrating on. Clearly, he wants to ensure that his politics stays alive.
Few others who don’t want to leave the Congress are looking at ways to stay relevant. But the list of disillusioned leaders is long and growing, and many of these have at one point been influential or important in the scheme of things such as Milind Deora, Veerappa Moily, Anand Sharma, Ashwini Kumar, Salman Khurshid.
Some chose to leave the party, like Jyotiraditya Scindia, some fought back and continue to do so like Sachin Pilot. But as new leaders are being propped up and Rahul Gandhi has his favourites, many feel left out and yet, want to stay in the party. The CWC brings some hope to them that things could change. But will the Congress and CWC once again shy away from taking a decision?
Four-storey building collapses in Delhi’…
27-01-2025
A four-storey building collapsed in Burari, north Delhi, trapping several people. The incident occurred around 6:30 pm in Kaushik Enclave. Rescue operations involve police, fire services, DDMA, and NDRF. Ten...
Read moreNo threat to availability due to US curb…
27-01-2025
Arvinder Singh Sahney, chairman of IndianOil, expressed confidence that US sanctions on Russian oil exports will not affect India's crude supply due to its diverse sources. Indian refineries can tap...
Read more'Are they trying to kill people of Delhi…
27-01-2025
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi accuses Haryana's BJP government of deliberately polluting the Yamuna to disrupt Delhi’s water supply before elections. Elevated ammonia levels are cited, which Delhi Jal Board claims...
Read moreMobile app on crop survey shows few Biha…
27-01-2025
Agriculture department officials in Bihar's Bhojpur district encountered a bizarre situation when farmland data in a digital crop survey app mistakenly showed plots located in the Indian Ocean, caused by...
Read moreThree day dolphin census begins in Odish…
27-01-2025
Odisha's Forest, Environment and Climate Change department began a three-day dolphin census at Gahirmatha marine sanctuary and Bhitarkanika National Park. Nine teams of forest officials and wildlife experts will count...
Read moreGovernment mulling to make mandatory for…
27-01-2025
The road transport ministry of India is planning to mandate vehicle owners and driving licence holders to update their address, mobile phone number, and other details to track violators effectively...
Read moreAnti-Sikh riots: Trials conducted in man…
27-01-2025
The centre informed the Supreme Court that trials in many 1984 anti-Sikh riots cases led to acquittals due to improper conduct, with appeals often dismissed for delays. A 2018 SIT...
Read more
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will resume thi…
27-01-2025
India and China have agreed to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in 2025, aiming to rebuild bilateral relations. Key measures include increasing people-to-people exchanges, resuming direct flights, and enhancing cooperation...
Read more
VHP urges intervention against inflated …
27-01-2025
The Vishva Hindu Parishad has urged the civil aviation ministry to address the issue of high airfares during the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, calling the inflated prices unjust and unethical...
Read moreWorld Hindu Economic Forum to organise c…
27-01-2025
The World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF) will hold an economic conference on February 8 at the Maha Kumbh site in Prayagraj, near the Triveni Sangam. The event will focus on...
Read moreIndia rescues 67 youth working under 'in…
27-01-2025
The Indian Embassy in Laos successfully rescued 67 Indian youth from cyber-scam centres in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone. These youth had been trafficked and forced to work under...
Read moreCustodial death: Himachal IGP, 7 other c…
27-01-2025
A CBI court in Chandigarh sentenced senior Himachal Pradesh police officers to life imprisonment for the custodial death of an accused in the 2017 rape and murder case of a...
Read moreSex workers on Delhi's GB Road battle po…
27-01-2025
Sex workers on Delhi's GB Road, the city's red-light area, face severe living conditions, including poor sanitation, unreliable electricity, and overcrowded rooms. Despite their struggles, they remain marginalized, with political...
Read moreGuv Pillai meets Padma Shri awardee Libi…
27-01-2025
Goa governor PS Sreedharan Pillai visited 100-year-old freedom fighter Libia Lobo Sardesai, congratulating her on receiving the Padma Shri for her contributions to India's freedom struggle. In 1955, Sardesai co-founded...
Read more'BJP government in Haryana mixing poison…
27-01-2025
Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of contaminating Delhi's water supply from Haryana with poison, alleging it could lead to a mass genocide. Haryana CM and ministers refuted these claims, blaming...
Read more'Dip in Ganga won't remove poverty': Mal…
27-01-2025
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticized Union home minister Amit Shah's visit to the Maha Kumbh, asserting that a dip in the Ganga won’t alleviate poverty. He accused BJP leaders of...
Read more
