Guwahati: The voice of bitterness is being heard from Assam to Mumbai to the rest of the country. From the status of the undisputed leader to a 42 MPs’ party, the decline has been so stunning that many in the party find it difficult to reconcile to the new reality. The question who should be blamed is haunting all members of the party. Some blame Rahul Gandhi’s inexperienced advisers, perhaps a euphemism for Rahul Gandhi himself; some blame it on lack of communication, a euphemism for Dr Manmohan Singh.
The man in immediate trouble is Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who is likely to step down on Thursday. He is taking the moral responsibility for the poor show, but more than half of the party’s MLAs are seeking a change of leadership.
The party, which has been ruling Assam since 2001, won just three of the 14 Parliamentary seats in the state, largely because of rebel within the ranks. BJP, on the other hand, won seven seats. Post the election, the rebellion has reached new heights.
“We met to discuss the causes of our party’s defeat in the polls and subsequently, resolved to send a letter to Sonia Gandhi to give her a picture of the situation and suggest corrective measures,” the state’s health and education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is allegedly leading the dissident camp, told journalists.
Congress ex-MP Milind Deora and Priya Dutt on Thursday appeared to criticise the party leadership.
“Field party work & electoral battles are key to comprehend ground realities. This should form the basis for leadership posts in Congress,” Deora tweeted on a day a newspaper report quoted him as saying that “those with no electoral experience” were calling the shots in the party. Deora is the first Congress leader to go public with his criticism.
“My comments are out of emotions of deep loyalty to the party, pain of our performance & a sincere desire to see us bounce back. Nothing more,” he added, in comments seen to be a critique of Rahul Gandhi, who led the party’s national election campaign.Â
Two-time MP Priya Dutt, who also lost the polls, said for cautiously, “I would not really like to talk about Milind’s comments but there is disconnect between people on the ground and top leaders. The top leadership should take opinion from a wide range of people and MPs.”
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