Gandhi loyalist and Congress trouble shooter Harish Rawat looks heavenward for respite as he feels left out by the party
Assembly polls in a clutch of states are round the bend, and political parties are going all out to pocket victories. The election scene is turning out to be hotter than ever before, and that has made the national as well as local outfits strategizing for the best outcomes.
But one wonders what the grand old party would be in for when the ballots are ready to be counted. The run up to the polls has enlivened every single party in the poll-bound states, but the Indian National Congress is biding time, applauding Priyanka and Rahul gimmicks.
A party that once upon a time had the potential to impart hope and a sense of direction to many is now fumbling in the dark. After a series of setbacks in terms of senior leaders leaving the party, a bunch of tweets from party strong man and Gandhi loyalist Harish Rawat has send the Congress party scurrying for cover.
Rawat’s tweets hinted at non-cooperation from the party’s Uttarakhand unit, and he even suggested that it could be time for some rest. When Rawat tweets against the goings-on in the Congress, the party needs to swing into some damage control.
Gandhi loyalist Rawat feels left out
For, Rawat isn’t just another functionary who can be ignored. A former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat is the man the party leadership had entrusted the task of brokering peace between Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu when all affairs of the party went topsy-turvy in Punjab. Congress party’s main trouble-shooter expressing concern over the affairs inside the party means added trouble for the party, without doubt.
The 73-year-old Rawat, who has been working towards securing a Congress win in Uttarakhand when the state goes to the polls soon, has now thrown up his hands and is looking heavenwards for some respite.
In a tweet, he sought margdarshan (guidance) from Lord Kedarnath, saying that he has had enough. Any one following the functioning of the Congress party of late would understand that Rawat has pointed fingers at the party leadership for abandoning him when things are not so fine.
Rawat has said that while the party needs to swim in the sea of elections, the organisation has either turned its back on him or is playing a negative role, when it should be supporting him.
Though the BJP in Uttarakhand is busy infighting, Rawat knows the Congress needs to step up its fight if they are to return to power. But the party leadership is totally clueless, and could gift the state to the BJP easily if things aren’t effectively and strategically spruced up.
Congress clueless, messes with issues
Rawat’s cryptic tweets have ruffled the top men and women in the Congress higher ups. But then, we have been seeing similar things happening in many states in the country and the party high command has remained oblivious to the fact that the ground is being swept of its feet.
Luizinho Faleiro, former Goa Chief Minister, leaving the Congress after toiling for 40 long years and joining the Trinamool Congress; Amarinder Singh quitting the Congress to form a party that would ally with the BJP; and many such developments should have opened the eyes of the Gandhis and their team of top leaders. However, the party top brass has done nothing concrete to keep the boat afloat.
Harish Rawat’s concern is something that needs to be addressed by the party leadership. Considering that he is a veteran who has been a close Gandhi aide, his concern is something that calls for immediate attention.
He, and a few leaders from Uttarakhand, have been summoned to Delhi, but the manner in which the party top honchos are planning to address the issue remains to be seen. The party high command also needs to send out clear messages to its cadre that the elections in many states are fast approaching and they have to unitedly gear up to face them.
Rawat has called on Lord Kedarnath to come to his rescue. Let’s hope the Gandhis and their trusted loyalists won’t join him in looking heavenward for some respite.
