Anil Anand
Expectedly, the veteran Congress leader Mr Malikarjun Kharge has been elected as the new party president. A non-Gandhi family nominee will occupy this top post after a hiatus of 24 years. Certainly path-breaking under the prevailing circumstances and not unprecedented as the Congress has in its 137-year history seen many non-Nehru and Gandhi family members becoming president.
However, unlike past when such persons headed the party, 2022 party-polls are different and significant not only from the perspective of the Gandhi family keeping out of the fray but also the manner, timing and circumstances under which the elections were held. It is not that the Congress was plagued by dissensions, revolt and rebellion for the first time. In fact, the party has a chequered history in this connection with the infamous vertical splits of 1969-70, syndicate versus Indira Gandhi, and formation of Congress (Tiwari) by Sonia Gandhi loyalists when P V Narsimharao was Prime Minister and the party president both.
This election, an experienced old-warhorse Kharge versus erudite, flamboyant and articulate Shashi Tharoor, held immediately after the now buried Group 23 rebellion with Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad forming a regional party and Mr Tharoor himself being a signatory to the letter written to Mrs Gandhi that was perceived as some kind of a rebellion, has different meaning and connotations. It has a different meaning for those such as Congress’s arch rival BJP, and it has entirely different connotation for the Congress in the context of simultaneously ongoing “Bharat Jodo Yatra” pivoted by Rahul Gandhi.
It is to the utter disliking of those, top among them the BJP’s Narendra Modi- Amit Shah duo, who would have wished Mr Gandhi taking another plunge at the party presidentship, and keep providing them chance to pound on the soft target with political scorn and ridicule as they had heavily invested in the gameplan to tarnish his image, during the last eight years. Perhaps, after long it seemed that some deep thought had gone into planning the party election without a member of the Gandhi family becoming a contesting candidate. And that seemed to be with a purpose It is another matter that Gehlot’s shenanigans and a last-minute drama did cause some embarrassment.
There are challenges galore ahead for Mr Kharge but with a strong silver-lining that the absence of a Gandhi family member from the top party post could take the sting out of the BJP’s pointed and vicious attack against the Congress. No matter they may discover another issue. It is anybody’s guess that he became a presidential candidate with the blessings of Mrs Gandhi and, of course, support of Rahul Gandhi. Nevertheless, there was a semblance of a free and fair contest or else and given the Congress history Mr Tharoor would not have secured 1000 plus votes. All credit to him for staying in the context despite clear writing on the wall and making a contest out of it in the true democratic spirit.
Political prudence demands that the Gandhis should prove the prophets of doom wrong who are spending overtime painting Mr Kharge as a shadow of the Congress’s first family, and let him function independently. Of course, the in-built system of checks and balances would always be in place as there is no dearth of nay-sayers within the Congress.
It is a blessing in disguise for him that he has become the party president when the “Bharat Jodo Yatra”, with Mr Gandhi in the lead role, has started attracting the people’s imagination. The overwhelming response which the Yatra has received in the five southern states, which it has traversed so far, with Mr Gandhi emerging as the main attraction, would certainly disillusion the prophets of doom, and at the same time enliven the spirits of the hitherto demoralized Congress rank and file.
This emerging situation has a strong potential both easing and exerting pressure on Mr Kharge who will be starting his innings with his back to the wall. It will ease the pressure as Congress for long has been looking out for a strategy to catch people’s imagination as nothing so far had been working for them with BJP’s aggressive strategists breathing down on their neck. Also, all attempts to galvanize and lift the morale of the party leaders and rank and file had so far failed. He will now only have to build upon the atmosphere created through the “Bharat Jodo Yatra” with an effervescent rank and file and Mr Gandhi coming out of the bubble created and entrapped by the BJP.
A strong positive was that the presidential elections were contested in a positive spirit by both the candidates. Full marks to Mr Tharoor in particular as he at no point in time said or did anything to create acrimony. And even after defeat he was the first to reach at Mr Kharge’s doorsteps and congratulate him.
It is now incumbent upon not only on Mr Kharge but the Gandhis also to carry forward this spirit of positivity and properly harness it in reviving the organization and preparing it for battles ahead. One way to carry forward this positive spirit would be to ensure that Mr Tharoor works in close proximity with Mr Kharge. If the new president has the decades of experience and wisdom, Mr Tharoor has a vision, and capability and capacity to connect particularly with the younger generations.
Still, Mr Kharge has some big-ticket tasks or challenges ahead of him. Restoring confidence of the disgruntled leaders and workers is an immediate challenge for which the “Bharat Jodo Yatra” has created a conducive environment. How to win elections and checkmate the BJP juggernaut is the other key area he will have to focus on for which the goodwill generated by Mr Gandhi through the Yatra could prove handy for him.
One onerous task for him will be on how to cap the rumblings on account of generational clash in the party. His experience and goodwill with the old guard could prove to be an asset and at the same time build bridges with the younger lot perhaps by using Mr Gandhi’s services. In this connection bringing sizable number of youngsters in the organisation at all levels could act as a good confidence measure to win their confidence.
Though groomed in the Congress culture of painfully slow decision making and status quo approach, Mr Kharge will have to come out of this closet. Quick decision making particularly in regard to organisational shake up and working out a system based on accountability are the priority areas direly seeking his attention.
The patriarchal stature of Mr Kharge should help him in creating a team spirit with the active participation of all sections of the party. There should be no place for groupism. Again, this will not be possible without the help of the Gandhis and the other hand Mr Tharoor led turks.
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