While the BJP regimes in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh face anti-incumbency waves as per Congress calculations, there are no celebrations in the latter camp. The mood in the Congress camp, rather, is despondent and jittery.Senior Congress leaders believe the party faces a huge challenge from within as respective state units remain divided and faction-ridden. Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s decision not to project any chief ministerial candidate has not helped matters either. “A clear signal from the High Command this way or that way could have checked infighting. As it is, every faction leader is busy ensuring party tickets to more of his supporters and trying to pull down rivals, rather than working in the field to exploit the evident anti-incumbency factor,” rued a senior Congress leader.In Madhya Pradesh, for instance, PCC chief Suresh Pachauri is said to be concentrating on pushing the case of his candidates at the ticket selection exercise in New Delhi, rather than mobilizing party workers and people against the BJP government. Although known as a “10, Janpath man”, the PCC chief is faced with a formidable set of rivals many of whom command a considerable support base. Jyotiraditya Scindia, for instance, has intensified his campaign holding across the state to belie the common belief about his influence being limited to the Gwalior region. Union Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, who was recently projected as the chief ministerial candidate by former chief minister Digvijay Singh at a rally in Chhindwara had created a flutter in the rival camps, is also learnt to be keen to move to the state after election, if the opportunity comes by. Ajay Singh, son of Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, is also in the reckoning. “Although Mrs Gandhi has called all these leaders several times and asked them to unite for the larger cause of the party, they continue to work for cross purposes,” said a leader from Madhya Pradesh.In Rajasthan, although the High Command has allowed former CM Ashok Gehlot to contest the Assembly election, he has not been relieved of his charge as AICC General Secretary in charge of Delhi, lest it should send out a wrong message to his detractors. “Fact is if there is one leader in Rajasthan who can take on Vasundhara Raje, it is Ashok Gehlot. But Soniaji has come under the Jat lobby’s pressure. As it is, Gehlot can focus neither on Rajasthan nor on Delhi,” said a former minister from Rajasthan.Similarly, in Chhattisgarh, while former CM Ajit Jogi will be the lead campaigner for the party - and he has also had a say in the selection of candidates- he is not being projected as the chief ministerial candidate, apparently to placate his rival V C Shukla. “What this has done is to keep every rival camp hopeful of a chance after election. So, it is better for each of these camps to ensure the defeat of those from the rival camp,” commented a party leader.
