'The Congress is in a churn, and you will see results soon'
Party's veteran leader Salman Khurshid believes that dissent does not lead to desertion
October 06, 2021 / 15:39 IST
What sense do you make of the happenings in the Congress? Is the party in a churn?The party is certainly in a churn. We need to do a few things and some processes are taking place in the party. I know, outside there is a sense of urgency to get things done in the Congress and a lot needs to be done. Our immediate deadlines are the assembly elections early next year, the final deadline being the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.When you talk of processes, what exactly do you mean?I can’t say it explicitly. An overwhelming number of people in the party want Rahul Gandhi to take the lead. But it is an existential question. Political workers want to move things fast, but a party must adopt its own course. I repeat that an overwhelming number of Congress workers want Rahul to take the lead.Will the Congress remain united? Several people are leaving the party.There can be no doubt that the Congress will be united. After all, there are no ideological differences between members. There are voices of dissent, but it has been proved that the same people who raise questions will come around and do a fine job for the party, when the time comes.With the induction of the likes of Kanhaiya Kumar in Bihar and Jignesh Mewani in Gujarat, is there a sense that the party is taking a Left turn?Rahul Gandhi is wedded to the welfare ideas of governance. In that way, he is close to Indira Gandhi. A country with so many poor people needs safety nets and he is very aware of it. The economic logic of governance is equity. But to equate the entry of the likes of Kanhaiya to a Congress tilting Left is going slightly overboard.The Congress has such a list of competent speakers, such as you. Yet, the people defending the party in public discourses, on TV etc, are relatively lightweight. Things are changing now. Senior leaders are aware that the responsibility to defend the party lies not just in the hands of the junior members but also them. You will see the difference now.(This is part two of a three part series. Click for part one and part three.)
Ranjit Bhushan is an independent journalist and former Nehru Fellow at Jamia Millia University. In a career spanning more than three decades, he has worked with Outlook, The Times of India, The Indian Express, the Press Trust of India, Associated Press, Financial Chronicle, and DNA.
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