The meeting of Uttarakhand Congress leaders in Delhi with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi left behind many messages and question marks.
The tall leaders of Uttarakhand Congress kept brainstorming with the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi for four hours incessantly.
The discussion that took place in the closed room was very interesting which discussed in the strategy for the Lok Sabha elections including hectic deliberations on various other burning issues of the state including the ongoing factionalism that is negativity affecting the party organisation in Uttarakhand.
According to the sources the factionalism erupted in front of the national leaders, a long series of complaints went on and the pain of not getting support to the organization also spilled over.
The issues related to the defeat in the assembly elections in 2017 and 2022 as well as the Congress, which could not open its account in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections were also discussed and the state president Karan Mahara asked how will we win in the general elections if the same internal squabbles continued in the party.
Sources claim that Karan Mahara openly complained to senior leaders raising many such issues, including keeping distance of big leaders from the programs of the organization, not coming together on issues, giving rhetoric, fueling factionalism, which are spoiling the political health of the Congress in the state. The State Congress President cried his sorrow, tried to expose everyone in front of the big leaders, compelling the high command draw the Lakshman Rekha for everyone.
Sources reveal that all the leaders were advised to work together. Along with this, the high command also advised not to make unnecessary statements, to focus on strengthening the party more than on their individual political interests.
Harish Rawat, Pritam Singh were also taught the lesson of discipline in gestures reveal sources. All aspects were discussed openly. Along with this, the Delhi Darbar expressed its displeasure over the kind of tussle that is being seen from now on over the tickets for the Lok Sabha elections.
Especially the cade of Dr. Harak Singh Rawat and Harish Rawat coming on head on collision course face to face for contesting elections from Haridwar openly speaks of fact about clear cut factionalism in the party apart from Pritam Harish Rawat protracted squabbles.
Both the leaders had made fierce statements in the past. Dr. Harak Rawat is repeatedly trying to fight Haridwar and has also targeted Harish Rawat many times citing his previous defeats. Perhaps that’s why Dr. Harak Singh Rawat was called in the meeting at the last moment so that such statements can be avoided and all the leaders can work together.
The high command also publicly reprimanded these leaders in the meeting and also directed them to stand with the organization, participate in every program, every meeting of the organization including maintaining discipline.
The positive aspect is that the Congress has already started preparing for the Lok Sabha elections and the message given to the leaders of Uttarakhand is regarding strict maintenance of discipline. The signal is that – no matter how big the leader is, but he has to walk with the organization and also support the organization.
Now the question is , the way the complaint was made, will the solution be found? The question is also whether senior leaders be able to get success by sidelining them? Will the Congress party leaders able to find a way out of the internal discord it is confronted with ? A big question is also of regional and caste equations. A section of Congress has been repeatedly raising the issue of neglect of Garhwal. Especially because many leaders have given statements regarding the manner in which all the three posts in the Congress are in the hands of Kumaon Mandal. Apart from this, there is also the issue of not giving the post to any Brahmin leader i.e. striking a balance is a big challenge. Now in view of the Lok Sabha elections, what steps will the Congress take to solve this complex problem, is a moot question. But it is certain that after the meeting in Delhi, even if there is an attempt to show solidarity on the public platform, the internal conflict will increase more than before say political analysts.
Leaders have their own lobbies in which there are both differences and differences of opinion. The meaning is clear that the leaders of Uttarakhand have to decide how much the orders that come from Delhi will be implemented in Dehradun.
Suwarn Rawat
It’s well said that the party ideology is above to each indìvidul leader.