The mess within

SIR, This refers to Kalyani Shankar’s ‘Congress must put house in order’ (29 August). The Grand Old Party has been functioning like a rudderless ship for a while now, plagued by disinterested leadership, petty rivalries, ideological confusion and inertia. Shankar has rightly stated that a revival of the party’s electoral prospects is contingent on its guarding the fortresses while rallying troops in other states. By all accounts, however, that seems a challenge for the party, as infighting grows louder and the high command is unable to keep the peace.
Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel are facing dissidence, while unrest is simmering in the Rajasthan party unit. In none of these instances can a claim be made that the incumbent government’s performance has warranted a change.
The rebellions, therefore, can be attributed to the personal ambitions of three leaders and not to traditional factional politics related to ideological differences. And the leadership vacuum has emboldened warring factions.
Rahul Gandhi’s unwillingness to take up the party presidentship is contributing to the deepening of these fissures. Gandhi must act now and fill the leadership void if he is interested in purging the Congress of its ailments. Else, the mantle must be passed to a deserving candidate.
The Congress continues to be in pole position in the opposition space. But the party needs to urgently set its house in order if it wants to assume leadership.