Congress dreams on

The Congress is living in a fool8217;s paradise if it believes that its merger with the Tamil Maanila Congress TMC would lay the ground for its return to power in Tamil Nadu after 35 years in hibernation. Sonia Gandhi8217;s grandiose idea, voiced at her rallies in Madurai and Pondicherry, of a rejuvenated Congress displacing the Dravidian parties in the state, would have few takers among those who know how pathetic is Congress8217;s organisational base in the state and how utterly out of tune it is with the masses.

In the last Assembly elections, held a year ago, the Congress had secured a measly seven seats and the TMC, 23. Since then, not only has factionalism in the Congress worsened, but the TMC has lost its charismatic founder, G.K. Moopanar. The manner in which the TMC capitulated to the Congress after Moopanar8217;s demise marks a grudging recognition of a crisis of leadership within the TMC. Moopanar8217;s son and successor, G.K. Vasan, was acutely conscious that any delay in his surrender to the Congress would lead to legislators deserting the party for greener pastures. Consequently, by giving in to Congress overtures, he has cemented his own political career by assuming the role of a Congress general secretary. A few other TMC leaders, like S.R. Balasubramaniam, Peter Alphonse and Jayanti Natarajan, may also find cosy berths in the new set-up, but it is difficult to imagine that the TMC rank and file would gain anything from the merger. Five of its legislators had recently written to the speaker of the Tamil Nadu assembly, to allow them to continue as TMC members. One of them was even expelled from the party for his pains.

However, short of coming to power on its own, the Congress could manage to capitalise on the growing disenchantment with the AIADMK and the increasing irrelevance of the DMK, provided it puts its own house in order. Today, it has the likes of Vazhapadi Ramamurthy and Thankabalu breathing down the neck of its state president, Elangovan. Things will only get worse with the TMC8217;s arrival. Such fierce infighting as there is, can only be at the cost of party cohesion. At the same time, it is vital that the central Congress leadership resolves its dilemma as to which of the two Dravidian parties it would like to support. The die is already cast for the next trial of strength 8212; Lok Sabha elections 2004. Will the Congress rise up to the occasion?