Congress, which suffered a crushing defeat in the assembly elections in Kerala, Assam and West Bengal, is having a tough time with many leaders demanding a generational change in leadership, both within the organisation and also in parliamentary politics. The Congress’s five-member panel, headed by former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, which was set up to study the party’s poor performance in the recently-concluded assembly elections, has submitted its initial report to party president Sonia Gandhi. While the post-mortem of Assam and Kerala results have been done, the process is yet to be completed for West Bengal, where the Congress drew a blank. The speculation in AICC is that there will be some changes soon. Some state units, including Kerala, Assam and West Bengal, could get new presidents. There could be a leadership change in Bihar and Telangana as well. The party has to appoint a new in-charge for Gujarat, where assembly elections are due in December 2022. The party is also yet to appoint a new in-charge for the communications department, since Randeep Surjewala who was made party’s Karnataka in-charge. The buzz is that Manish Tewari and Pawan Khera are the front-runners for the post.
PUNJAB CONGRESS IN-FIGHTING BETWEEN CM AMARINDER & SIDHU SOURS
The Congress continues its firefighting efforts in Punjab, where it is trying to appease 28 rebel MLAs who have questioned Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s leadership ahead of next year’s election. A three-member committee, set up by party chief Sonia Gandhi to resolve this issue met cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is Amarinder Singh’s biggest rival within the party. The committee is headed by leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat and former MP Jai Prakash Agarwal are the other members of the committee. After the meeting on Tuesday, Sidhu said he was there at the high command’s invitation. “My stand was the same, is the same and will be the same that the democratic power of people that goes to the government in the form of taxes should go back to the people… each citizen must be made shareholder in progress. The truth may be punished but it cannot be defeated. We have to make the truth victorious and defeat anti-Punjab forces,” Sidhu told reporters. Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat, who is part of the committee, stressed that the party is not considering a change of leadership in the state. Sources close to the party have said that the panel can suggest creation of two posts of deputy Chief Ministers to placate the dissident Dalit MLAs and the camp led by Captain’s opponents. The party high command has been looking for a candidate who is acceptable to both the factions. Rahul Gandhi, too, has been informally talking to some of these MLAs. Meanwhile, three suspended AAP MLAs — Sukhpal Khaira, Pirmal Singh and Jagdev Singh Kmalu—on Thursday joined the Congress party. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh inducted them into the party fold. Now, Amarinder is in Delhi to meet a three-member Congress panel formed to resolve the infighting in the state.
MAYAWATI-LED BSP LIKELY TO GO SOLO FOR UTTAR PRADEH POLLS IN 2022
BSP chief Mayawati had earlier announced that her party would no longer enter into an alliance with any political parties in Uttar Pradesh. The party, meanwhile, is gearing up for the 2022 UP elections, and has been holding meetings, while also devising social media campaigns. According to sources, BSP is likely to go alone in the upcoming assembly election in Uttar Pradesh in 2022. The former UP chief minister, Mayawati, had said that the party never benefited from contesting elections as part of any alliance and that BSP’s votes get easily transferred to other parties, but votes of other parties don’t come to their kitty. During the last five years, the party has had several experiments with alliance politics by joining hands with other parties, be it with the SP and Congress in Uttar Pradesh, or parties in other states. However, none of the alliances yielded any major benefits for the BSP. Instead, to some extent, it has adversely affected its core vote-bank — the Dalits. While the opposition Congress and SP have, however, said it doesn’t matter what the BSP decides as the party isn’t in the race for the 2022 UP assembly elections.
UTTARAKHAND’S NEW CM RAWAT NEEDS TO CHOOSE AN ASSEMBLY SEAT
Suspense continues over new Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat’s election to the state assembly. Rawat, who was a Lok Sabha MP when he was chosen as the chief minister replacing Trivendra Singh Rawat in March, has to be elected to the Assembly within six months. Elections are due in Uttarakhand next year, along with Uttar Pradesh. Rawat’s visit to Gangotri has now triggered speculation that he could contest from there. Gangotri MLA Gopal Rawat died in April.
YEDIYURAPPA NOT READY TO BID GOODBYE TO CM’S CHAIR
While many BJP leaders in the state have been seeking a change of leadership in Karnataka, citing inadequate Covid management, the pandemic seems to be helping CM BS Yediyurappa hold on to the chair. At 78, the Lingayat strongman has already crossed the age barrier to be either sent to some Raj Bhavan, or be consigned to the Marg Darshak Mandal that stalwarts like L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were dumped into. With the support of some diehard loyalists in the cabinet, Yediyurappa seems to be continuing as CM. (IPA)
