FOr ardent Congress supporters, the past few weeks should be pretty much about nothing while being exciting. Eventually, the party was able to successfully hold elections in Mallikarjun Kharge to get a full-time president. Similarly, the Bharat Jodi Yatra has completed 50 days, and it is gaining good traction on the routes it is passing.
However, as much as things seem to be changing in the Congress party, they have remained the same. Kharge, in his first decision as Congress president, has constituted a 47-member steering committee that will replace the Congress Working Committee (CWC), which is by far the party’s highest decision-making body. The new committee will work till Kharge’s election is confirmed in the upcoming plenary session of the party, which is likely to be held in March-April next year. Only after this a new CWC will be formed.
While many have criticized Kharge’s promotion as a ‘status quo’ within the Congress, it is actually a very important step for the party. There is no doubt about his political understanding and experience. But the big question is whether Kharge will be able to rescue the Congress from its toughest phase. The answer largely depends on several aspects, including Kharge’s willingness and ability to expand his role. Can he initiate the reforms that have become necessary to handle the crumbling structure of the party? Can he break out of the shadow of the first family of the party and create an independent identity of his own?
the court still stands
We gathered information on 48 of the new steering committee members – including Kharge – about their age, state, gender, and most importantly, their electoral performance during the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. no wonder Delhi court The Congress Party – known as the ‘Old Guard’ – has a significant imprint on the newly formed committee. Kharge’s last-minute entry as an ‘unofficial official candidate’ and his pitch to run party affairs “in consultation with and under the guidance of the Gandhi family” is greatly reflected in the new committee.
Having retained a large number of current CWC members, the Steering Committee looks like nothing more than a pretense. Under the new leadership the Congress is following the same path which has brought it to the brink of eventual collapse. Looks like Delhi court The party will continue to exercise significant control over affairs in the near future.
read also, Congress returns to caste politics without Kharge-Mandal’s craze on Tharoor
what does the data say
The Congress can continue to praise itself for giving India its first female Prime Minister and President – Indira Gandhi in 1966 and Pratibha Patil in 2007. But with only six women on its 48-member committee, including Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra, the promises were rolling out. Post-Uttar Pradesh campaign earlier this year seems to be nothing more than empty rhetoric.
Similarly, only one member of the steering committee, Manickam Tagore, is below 50 years of age. About half of the members are 70 years of age or older, making the average age of the committee 68. One must wonder how the Congress with such an old leadership is planning to enthuse and enthuse the young voters of India. More than 65 percent of India’s population is under 35, and the median age is under 29.
One is amazed at the regional priorities of the Congress to rejuvenate its organizational structure. While it has been spending a significant number of days in the southern states during the India Jodi Yatra, it has appointed a large number of members to the steering committee from northern states – 50 per cent from north, 25 per cent from south, western and eastern states. 10 percent each, and only 4 percent from the Northeast. With serious organizational crisis brewing in several states like Rajasthan, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh, the new committee is not even pretending that any significant change will be brought about. For example, barring several prominent leaders – Sachin Pilot and Shashi Tharoor. – It seems that the party is inviting new troubles.
The most surprising aspect of the committee is its constant reliance on politicians who do not have a great electoral track record. As Kharge is famous for not losing any electoral contest before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it was expected that there would be more fighting members. But the composition of the committee tells a different story – only one of the five members is currently an MP or MLA, nearly a third, including Kharge, represent the party in the Rajya Sabha, and half the members are not part of any legislative body. ,
A significant number of members have never actually contested any assembly or general election. Nearly two-thirds of the people did not contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and of the remaining 16 who contested, most of them lost by a significant margin. During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the ratio of winners to those who did not contest was the same.
Overall, 50 percent of the committee members did not contest the last two general elections. Another 16 percent have lost one Lok Sabha election and have not contested another; 13 percent have lost both general elections, and 15 percent have won at least one of the two. Only three members, including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, were elected as MPs during both the elections.
With more than half of the steering committee members neither seeking nor receiving a mandate from the people, it is doubtful that the party may lay out a serious blueprint for its revival plans in the 2024 election. The clear message of the committee is clear – the working body of the Congress will continue to accommodate loyalists as well as some critics, who will not jeopardize the status quo, that is, not jeopardize the Gandhi family and their dominion of Delhi. court,
A captain can change the fate of his team only when he can fully utilize the abilities of the members. It starts at the selection level itself. Is this Kharge’s way of trying to understand the conditions of the pitch before starting the innings like a seasoned batsman? The answer probably lies with those who follow the Congress party closely.
The author is with the Center for Policy Research (CPR), New Delhi. views expressed
are personal.
(Edited by Likes)