Explained: The rumblings within Congress’ state units

Rahul Gandhi's Nyaya yatra will enter Amethi today.

As Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra enters Amethi- a constituency he represented for three consecutive terms until his shock defeat in 2019, rumblings in multiple state units have put the Congress leadership under immense pressure.

Party leaders in as many as five states- Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Assam, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh have publicly aired their dissatisfaction , even resulting in many high-profile switchovers in recent weeks.

As the Congress tries to revive the party and give itself and its allies (INDIA bloc) a fighting chance to take on the BJP-led NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, infighting in many state units is posing a fresh challenge for the grand-old party.

Punjab

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu's rallies and Punjab Congress's sharp response have yet again turned the spotlight on the infighting within the Congress.

Sidhu has been holding rallies in different parts of Punjab without a clearance from the state party unit. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has warned that indiscipline will attract expulsion from the party.

This is proving to be a bigger challenge for the Congress that may prove to be a bigger challenge than political rivals AAP and BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Jharkhand

A section of Congress leaders in Jharkhand are displeased with the Champai Soren-led JMM government over the induction of four MLAs as ministers.

As many as 12 MLAs of the party have threatened the Champai Soren government of boycotting the Jharkhand assembly session if these ministers are not replaced by new faces.

Eight of these 12 MLAs reached Delhi on Saturday evening to lodge their protest before the party's high command.

The disgruntled MLAs expressed their unhappiness over Congress' decision to give ministerial berths to MLAs Alamgir Alam, Rameshwar Oraon, Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh.

The MLAs are demanding a minister from each division of the state to cover all the five divisions. The five divisions in the state are: Palamu division, North Chotanagpur division, South Chotanagpur division, Kolhan division and Santhal Pargana division

Madhya Pradesh

Reports of former Madhya Pradesh Congress Chief Kamal Nath and his son flying down to Delhi on Saturday have once again resulted in speculation that the veteran Congress leader could switch sides to the BJP.

Several media reports cited his unhappiness over not being nominated for the Rajya Sabha elections this year as one of the several reasons.

The Congress high command reportedly blamed Nath for the party's debacle in the recent Madhya Pradesh polls.

Maharashtra

Former Congress chief minister Ashok Chavan joined the list of heavyweight exits from Maharashtra Congress that also includes Milind Deora, and Baba Siddique. Chavan was considered one of the most influential leaders of the Congress in Maharashtra.

Earlier in January, Congress leader Milind Deora also submitted his resignation from the primary membership of Congress, bringing an end to his family’s 55-year association with the party.

After quitting Congress and joining Shiv Sena, former Lok Sabha MP Milind Deora on said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena were democratic parties while the Congress was not.

Asked about differences between the Congress and Sena, he said there is a huge difference as far as democracy is concerned because the difference lies in their ideologies.

Assam

Several prominent Congress leaders from Assam have joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra passed through the northeastern state.

Former minister Bismita Gogoi, former president of Indian Youth Congress's Assam unit Angkita Dutta and former deputy speaker of the assembly Dilip Paul joined the BJP at the party headquarters in Guwahati on January 28.

Subhrangshu Pratim Sarmah, a Guwahati-based research scholar on Northeastern politics, attributed the shift to growing dissatisfaction within a segment of the Assam Congress and said the shift was a long time coming.

The Congress is already under fire from its INDIA bloc partners which accuse it of delaying seat-sharing talks, with some even blaming the party's pre-occupation with the yatra for the stalemate.