'Congress grapples with power and organization in Rajasthan'

Beyond the Gehlot-Pilot showdown, what went unnoticed is the implosion within the Congress rank and file in Rajasthan. Large-scale resignations, the rebellion by influential leaders, and polarised opinions in the last few days have left the grand old party in a delicate balance. The party organisation has completely collapsed right from the top to the bottom and there is an urgent need to reconstruct it all over again.

Jaipur: After the debacle in Bihar Assembly elections, the fingers are now pointing towards the performance of the country's oldest political party Congress.

There are clear signs that signify that the party organisation has completely collapsed right from the top to the bottom and there is an urgent need to reconstruct it all over again.

Recently, the former Union Minister Kapil Sibal advised that the change is required from top leadership itself.

This comment opened the Pandora box of political discussion regarding the future of Congress in Indian polity.

However, the scene at the national level is different. But when it comes to the state level, the condition of Congress' organization is in the dismal condition in non-ruling Congress states, but even in those states that are ruled by Congress government, the condition of the Congress' organisation is no better.

Talking about Rajasthan, it may have happened for the first time in history that the state president of a party has revolted against the chief minister of his own party and got dismissed from all the posts of the party.

It did not just stop at this, the presidents of NSUI, Sevadal and Youth Congress, the frontal organizations of Congress, have also been removed due to allegations of revolt. But, Rajasthan bears witness to this internecine struggle.

Party Workers Are Worst Sufferers

Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan's longest-serving President in the Congress Party, Mukesh Bhakar, President of Rajasthan Youth Congress, Rakesh Pareek, President of Rajasthan Seva Dal and NSUI President Abhimanyu Punia, were dismissed from their posts over the allegations of being involved in anti-party activities and revolting against the party.

However, the central leadership of the party mediated between the two groups and they made a compromise, but the amount of bitterness that can be seen among Congress leaders in Rajasthan is found probably in no other state Congress Committee of the country.

The party showed unity after the rescue measures taken by its central leadership, but even after 4 months, there has not been an expansion in the Rajasthan Congress organization and cabinet, due to which the people and workers are now suffering.

The Congress Party suffered a major loss due to the 'Cold War' that ensued between Pilot and Gehlot.

Congress leaders got divided into two separate groups. After this, the central leadership of the party intervened and after the efforts made by Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, the two groups finally reunited, but even after 4 months of political upheaval in Rajasthan, only Govind Singh Dotasara is having a post as president in the name of the state Congress organization in Rajasthan.

Apart from him, no one has been appointed till now in the organization of Rajasthan Congress.

The condition of the Congress government in Rajasthan is more or less similar to its organisation.

Here too, 30 per cent posts of the ministers are vacant in Gehlot’s cabinet.

These posts cannot be filled till a green signal is given by the committee which was created to resolve the tussle between Gehlot and Pilot.

The worst sufferers are the workers, who worked endlessly to form the Congress government in Rajasthan, are now waiting for political appointments even after the lapse of 2 years.

Not only the organization of Rajasthan Congress but also the frontal organization of Congress, NSUI, Sevadal and Mahila Congress are also waiting for the restructuring of their organization.

In Rajasthan, it is said that the people here do not give the government a second consecutive chance.

In this case, Congress and the BJP take turns to form the government. The same happened this time in the assembly elections and the Congress won the assembly elections and formed the government.

But, the way in which the Congress party was expected to win 125 out of 200 seats in the assembly elections, the Congress party could manage a majority figure of 101.

In such a situation, the Congress had to get all the 6 MLAs of Rajasthan BSP to join the Congress to reach the comfortable figure, due to which the BSP, which has stood with the Congress till now, has now drawn its daggers against the Congress party and it is continuously attacking the government.

Committee To Decide Future of Rajasthan Congress

Despite being a government in Rajasthan, after being divided into two factions, now the leaders of the Congress party have taken the reins in their hands.

A three-member committee comprising Ahmed Patel, Ajay Maken and KC Venugopal has been formed on behalf of the Congress to do away with the tussle between the two groups.

The jigsaw within the state Congress would be solved in Rajasthan only after this committee gives its report.

At the moment, the report of the committee is difficult to come due to the ill health of Ahmed Patel.

In such a situation, there is only one option left is to wait. In such a situation, only time will tell how the top leadership works out a reconciliation between the two factions.

After seeing the election results emerging across the country, Congress should introspect as to what was the reason behind winning such a dismal number of seats this time as compared to the previous elections. Congress leader Virendra Poonia said that rhetoric goes on within the political parties, but leaders should think before they speak.

"The inner dissatisfactions should not be vented outside. After the Panchayat elections, all the pending works of the party will be completed," he said.

The political situation of Rajasthan is also serious for the last 4 months. Here 30 per cent Council of Ministers posts are lying vacant, no political appointments have been made so far.

Shyam Sharma said that CM Gehlot and State Congress President Govind Singh Dotasara claim that the party will perform decently and bring the decentralization of power to the bottom and the Congress will give a tough defeat to the BJP. But on the other hand, Leader of Opposition Gulabchand Kataria said that the Congress government will fall in the next 6 months.