Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Rahul Gandhi saying he8217;s ready to take charge of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh won8217;t help the party much if Sonia Gandhi doesn8217;t take charge of the Congress in the country. This may sound strange given the undying fealty Congress politicians express for their leader. But that, in a sense, is the problem 8212; the Congress has spilt its real power into executive and political, and too many party leaders are beginning to think that loyalty to the latter could be an excuse to weaken the former. Sonia Gandhi needs to disabuse some of her senior colleagues and she needs to do it quickly. Ministers and ex-ministers alike need a reminder from her that the present arrangement 8212; she doing the politics and Manmohan Singh doing the policy 8212; was her idea, that she picked the prime ministerial candidate and that swipes at the PM in effect questions her own authority. Given just how quickly Congress politicians see the light if the source of luminosity is 10 Janpath, it is actually a little odd that indications of unhappiness haven8217;t already been communicated to those clearly intent on making Manmohan Singh appear in less than full control of his cabinet.
Sonia Gandhi should need no telling just how dangerous the current trend can get for the Congress. The UPA may have to combat an increasingly assertive Left after the assembly elections. Some non-Congress, non-BJP politicians are trying to search for a political platform. The BJP may not be in the best of shape but it rules enough big states and has enough political ammunition left to aim at the Congress, should things turn truly bad for the ruling party. Discipline is not merely desirable in these circumstances, it becomes a condition for survival.
