Signs of life in MP Congress

Madhya Pradesh

Signs of life in MP Congress

NK SINGH

BJP in Madhya Pradesh may do well to take note of two recent developments in Congress that it has successfully stalled from coming back to power for 14 years now.

The first is the much publicised show of unity put up by Congress in mounting a gherao of Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on February 22, 2017. The protest against “misdeeds” of Shivraj Singh Government was feeble, with top leaders meekly walking towards waiting police vehicles to court arrest. But they succeeded in brushing their differences under the carpet and coming on one platform after a gap of almost three years.

The significance of the show of unity ---- although it could barely last for a few hours ---- was that it had taken place under direct instructions from Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Sick of infighting among its top leaders, the party high command finally cracked its whip, bringing Digvijay Singh, Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia on one platform to challenge Shivraj Government. The State satraps had put up such shows in the past too. But this time it may prove to be more effective as it has been cobbled together by the high command.

The second development, that came a day later, was equally important and should be a cause of worry for BJP. The Congress high command cleared the name of Ajay Singh, a former minister in Digvijay Singh Government, for leading the Congress Legislature Party. In effect, he will be the Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, a post he re-occupies after three years. The move is significant. Not because Ajay Singh’s return is going to send shivers down the spine of Shivraj Government. The move is noteworthy because it indicates restoration of internal democracy in Congress, with the beleaguered organisation rediscovering a respect for majority.

The Congress high command had refused to entertain Ajay Singh’s claim for leadership three years ago although majority of MLAs supported him. It appointed Satyadev Katare, a follower of former union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, to the post. Katare, unfortunately, fell sick soon after he took over and remained largely non-functional until his death last October. Robbed of an effective leadership, Congress performance suffered in assembly.

When the CLP met at Bhopal on February 20 to elect its new leadership, many senior leaders, who had already undergone a screening by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, threw their hats in the ring. Mukesh Nayak staked claim on the ground that Katare, a Brahmin should be succeeded by a Brahmin. Mahendra Singh Kalukheda was Scindia camp’s candidate. Kamal Nath loyalist Bala Bachchan was hopeful because he had been acting as Leader of Opposition ever since Katare was hospitalised.

But as Ajay Singh walked to MP Congress Committee office to attend the legislature party meeting, 26 MLAs in tow, it became clear that in a three-cornered battle he was the majority’s choice in the 56-member CLP.What finally tilted balance in his favour was Kamal Nath indicating to Ajay Makan, the AICC observer, that he was in favour of respecting the wishes of majority of MLAs, thereby scuttling Bachchan’s chance. Nath wants to lead the party in MP at the hustings. Having one of his followers as CLP leader would have robbed him of that opportunity as his opponents may object to two top posts going to the same group.

Apart from enjoying the support of Digvijay Singh group, Ajay Singh, son of veteran politician Arjun Singh, has his own support base. A six-time MLA, he has lost assembly election only once when, in an adventurist action, he took on former chief minister Sunderlal Patwa in the latter’s constituency, Bhojpur, in 1993. Another point in his favour is that in 2013 assembly election most regional satraps had suffered a fall in the number of Congress MLAs in their areas of influence compared to 2008. Ajay Singh was the only leader in whose area Congress had improved its performance.

Restoration of internal democracy is not the only sign of change in the moribund Congress. The high command seems to have finally realised that group politics was destroying the party’s chances in the State where anti-incumbency seems to be looming large over the 13-year-old BJP Government.

Corruption has increased, ministers have become more arrogant, roads are in bad shape, fuel and electricity are the costliest in the country, scandals like Vyapam and Katni hawala case have tarred government’s image, BJP and VHP find ISI agents invading its ranks, administration has failed to rein in sand mafia, social indices like infant mortality and malnutrition deaths continue to put it to shame.

But Congress also realises that it has failed to capitalise on the State Government’s failures due to fragmentation within its own ranks. It needs to rekindle the spirit of ‘Dabra conclave’ of 1990s when the warring factions of Arjun Singh, Motilal Vora and Madhavrao Scindia came together to challenge BJP. The moot question is whether the lacklustre Congress high command, whose authority refuses to travel beyond Lutyens’ Delhi, has the vision to enforce discipline.

Powers That Be, my column in DB Post of 26 Feb 2017

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