Can the weakened first family of the Congress amicably resolve the factional quarrels between their chief ministers and the rebels, particularly in the three Congress-ruled states? Factional fights are playing out in public in Rajasthan, Punjab and Chattisgarh, where the dissidents demand change of the chief ministers. Besides, even where the party is not in power, there is a power tussle.
The rebels know that the party is facing a leadership crisis since August 2019, after Rahul Gandhi resigned as party chief, owning responsibility for the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. Now there are three power centres – Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi. The three have been meeting the rebels as well as the chief ministers to find a resolution. It is this which is creating a further mess.
The rebels have been demanding the removal of the three incumbent chief ministers in Punjab (Captain Amarinder Singh), Rajasthan (Ashok Gehlot) and Chhatisgarh (Bhupendra Baghel). So far, all the efforts made by the three Gandhis have not succeeded. Like the Maria Theresa dollar in Germany, the rebels keep coming back to Delhi, camping in the capital for their cause.
The high command is facing a Hobson’s choice between purge and compromise. Unfortunately, even in states like Karnataka, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Haryana and Goa, the factional quarrels have already damaged the party.
The first family tried a balancing act in the three states where it rules but in vain. Now, the power struggle has entered a decisive phase. Both camps have informed the leadership their patience is wearing out.
There is a background to the current revolt. For instance, the Rajasthan problem has been going on since last year. A temporary truce was struck between chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot. A close friend of Rahul Gandhi, Pilot has adopted a wait-and-watch policy, perhaps because the Rajasthan Assembly polls are due only in November 2023. Sustaining a rebellion for two and a half years is difficult. Gehlot, a known Sonia loyalist has remained in Jaipur, not even coming to Delhi for negotiations. Including Gehlot, there are 21 members now in the Rajasthan ministry, and up to nine more can be accommodated.
The supporters of Pilot are losing patience in the wake of Gehlot failing to fulfill the ‘peace formula’ that was hammered out in August last year. Pilot, who almost left the party last year, was pacified after the Gandhis promised him a plum post in the AICC. He wants his followers to be accommodated in the ministry while Gehlot intends to send a signal to them that there is no room for rebels in the party.
As for Punjab, the fight is between chief minister Amrinder Singh and the former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu who wants to replace the erstwhile Maharaja of Patiala. Patronised by Priyanka Gandhi, Sidhu was made Pradesh party chief last month. An unsatisfied Sidhu demands that he be made the chief minister. The polls are scheduled for early next year. The Congress is in a position to come back as the opposition is weak. So the issue needs to be handled deftly.
The Chattisgarh Congress, too, is playing out its factional fight in public. In 2018, when the government was formed, current health minister T S Singh Deo was promised that there would be power-sharing. Now Singh Deo demands that the chief minister be replaced. Both are camping in Delhi, both staking their claims.
In such a situation, the Gandhis have few options. The first is to enforce discipline and clarify that the incumbent chief ministers will lead the party in the respective states. Where the rebels can be accommodated in the AICC, they should be accommodated. Sidhu is very ambitious and needs to be curbed. Ironically, it is the protection from Priyanka’s patronage that helps him in his dissident activities.
The second is to check erosion in the party, which is growing in the past two years. Many senior leaders like Jyoditraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasada and others have walked out. This is because they felt there was no future for them in a directionless and leaderless party. Many who left Congress including Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee and Himanta Biswa Sarma thereafter became chief ministers.
The third is to start building up second-rung leaders in the states. In the past, Congress had promoted several state leaders, but that has stopped since the Indira Gandhi days. Every post from top to bottom is now nominated.
The fourth and most important is to elect a permanent president as soon as possible. There should be reforms in the party as demanded by the Group of 23 rebel leaders.
If the leadership issue is not decided soon, there will more trouble for the party.