The battle between the old guard and Team Rahul in the Congress is intensifying.
Conversation with party members from each side of the divide is invariably peppered with snide remarks and attacks against the other.
Nervous about being sidelined in the next party reshuffle, Congress leaders who were known to be reticent and restrained in the past are not hesitating to speak out these days.
When senior Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi recently suggested that politicians should not hold active posts beyond a certain age, it was widely interpreted as an attack against leaders like Madhusudan Mistry , known for their proximity to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Dwivedi was supported by his party colleague Digvijaya Singh, who said that Rahul Gandhi should lead from the front and be more visible and vocal.
Leading from the front
Having been at the receiving end since the party's disastrous showing in the Lok Sabha election results, Mistry has been smarting for some time now. He finally hit back, stating that instead of airing their views in the press, senior leaders should personally convey these to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Mistry also maintained that no single person could be held accountable for the party’s poor showing in the last general election and that everybody should take responsibility since they were all involved in the selection of candidates and drawing up election strategies.
Mistry has been in the line of fire for his handling of the electorally-crucial state of Uttar Pradesh where the Congress was crushed. He came under renewed attack when Rahul Gandhi again reposed faith in him and asked Mistry to scout for candidates for the coming assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand.
While anger against Team Rahul has been building up, it has intensified as the Congress is set for a revamp after the assembly polls. It is widely speculated that senior leaders will be eased out to make way for younger faces.
This has become imperative after the rival Bharatiya Janata Party succeeded in affecting a generational change in its organisation.
Dwivedi’s periodic outbursts and Digvjaya Singh’s recent statements are a sign of their growing insecurity at their possible marginalisation in the party.
The sniping began after the Congress was mauled in the Lok Sabha polls three months ago and has picked up volume.
While a host of party members publicly derided Rahul Gandhi’s poor leadership in the elections, others whispered about his poor choice of advisors and the need to do away with them.
This was accompanied with a growing demand that Rahul Gandhi take a back seat and Sonia Gandhi play a more active role in party affairs. This, old timers believe, would put a brake on the generational shift in the party and allow them to exercise unfettered control over the organisation.
Role for Priyanka
Another section in the party wanted Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi’s more charismatic sister, to take on a leadership role in the Congress. But she has put out a written statement saying she has no plans to take on a formal position in the party.
While Sonia Gandhi has stepped up her engagement in the party, this does not imply that Rahul Gandhi has been relegated to the background. Although he is not making any public appearances, Rahul Gandhi has been meeting party members and state leaders. He is also involved in the preparations for the forthcoming assembly polls.
Congress insiders maintain that the mother-son duo work in tandem. “She can never say no to him,” said a senior party leader.
Conversation with party members from each side of the divide is invariably peppered with snide remarks and attacks against the other.
Nervous about being sidelined in the next party reshuffle, Congress leaders who were known to be reticent and restrained in the past are not hesitating to speak out these days.
When senior Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi recently suggested that politicians should not hold active posts beyond a certain age, it was widely interpreted as an attack against leaders like Madhusudan Mistry , known for their proximity to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Dwivedi was supported by his party colleague Digvijaya Singh, who said that Rahul Gandhi should lead from the front and be more visible and vocal.
Leading from the front
Having been at the receiving end since the party's disastrous showing in the Lok Sabha election results, Mistry has been smarting for some time now. He finally hit back, stating that instead of airing their views in the press, senior leaders should personally convey these to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Mistry also maintained that no single person could be held accountable for the party’s poor showing in the last general election and that everybody should take responsibility since they were all involved in the selection of candidates and drawing up election strategies.
Mistry has been in the line of fire for his handling of the electorally-crucial state of Uttar Pradesh where the Congress was crushed. He came under renewed attack when Rahul Gandhi again reposed faith in him and asked Mistry to scout for candidates for the coming assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand.
While anger against Team Rahul has been building up, it has intensified as the Congress is set for a revamp after the assembly polls. It is widely speculated that senior leaders will be eased out to make way for younger faces.
This has become imperative after the rival Bharatiya Janata Party succeeded in affecting a generational change in its organisation.
Dwivedi’s periodic outbursts and Digvjaya Singh’s recent statements are a sign of their growing insecurity at their possible marginalisation in the party.
The sniping began after the Congress was mauled in the Lok Sabha polls three months ago and has picked up volume.
While a host of party members publicly derided Rahul Gandhi’s poor leadership in the elections, others whispered about his poor choice of advisors and the need to do away with them.
This was accompanied with a growing demand that Rahul Gandhi take a back seat and Sonia Gandhi play a more active role in party affairs. This, old timers believe, would put a brake on the generational shift in the party and allow them to exercise unfettered control over the organisation.
Role for Priyanka
Another section in the party wanted Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi’s more charismatic sister, to take on a leadership role in the Congress. But she has put out a written statement saying she has no plans to take on a formal position in the party.
While Sonia Gandhi has stepped up her engagement in the party, this does not imply that Rahul Gandhi has been relegated to the background. Although he is not making any public appearances, Rahul Gandhi has been meeting party members and state leaders. He is also involved in the preparations for the forthcoming assembly polls.
Congress insiders maintain that the mother-son duo work in tandem. “She can never say no to him,” said a senior party leader.
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