"TIME & NEED TO OVERHAUL CONGRESS"
The party needs to understand that action should be taken against those who didn’t perform otherwise complacency will set in. And it is the grassroots worker who will pay the price.
A senior Congress Minister in Uttar Pradesh last week said that since there was no cadre in the State, the party lost. My question — who did he expect to make the cadre? He then went on to say that it was the High Command’s fault. There was nothing that I could say except feel sorry for the Congress. Moreso, for the grassroots worker, because he is totally dependent on leaders who have no backbone, charisma and are unaware of the ground reality. It is time that such leaders came down from their high horse, otherwise the public will do it for them.
Most of the leaders in UP are Rahul Gandhi’s right-hand-men who hold plump ministries. Many monetary benefits along with reservations and sops were announced for the Assembly elections in the State just before the polls. Congress office bearers and MLAs’ were supposedly working hard. Then why were efforts not made to ensure that what transpired in Bihar was not repeated?
No action was taken against any person when the Congress lost in Bihar. No action has been taken in Uttar Pradesh as well. If no one is held responsible, complacency sets in. But then, it is not the leaders who suffer, it is the grassroots level worker who has to pay the price. His advise is never taken into account and people who join from other parties are given plump positions. This makes the grassroots worker lose faith in the High Command. In most cases he shifts his loyalty. That is how one loses a good worker.
Seventy five per cent of the candidates lost their deposits in UP. Instead of doling out sops, the Congress should revamp the AICC and focus on empowerment. They should also start living permanently in their constituencies and visit Delhi whenever there is work. And as for the Assembly elections, the Congress should have made sure that the general secretary incharge, the PCC president and the Congress president were informed about the lack of cadre in the State. It is sad that no developmental work was done in the constituencies.
The Congress leaders in the Capital, even after the dismal performance in five States, refused to acknowledge the fact that infighting is very common in the party. They don’t understand that appointing one person who will be held responsible is better than having 10 leaders. What is the harm if he becomes a dictator. At least he will deliver like Nitish Kumar in Bihar and Narendra Modi in Gujarat.
Gone are the days when a leader’s personal charisma worked. Accountability, performance and deliverance is what gets votes. A new breed of voter has come up. They don’t remember former Prime Minster, late Indira Gandhi or former Prime Minister, late Rajiv Gandhi. Today, there is competition between Rahul and other regional youth leaders. These young leaders are grounded and don’t have a larger than life image. They have not become complacent like the Congress or the BJP. They have the hunger and drive to reach the top and they don’t take the voter for granted.
It is shocking that the Congress, in UP, didn’t think that their Union Ministers needed to campaign. The result — the voter rejected the candidates. Sycophancy is eating up the Congress. State leaders are given importance over the grassroots worker, this is really a shame.
The Congress needs to give the revamp of the party to people who are masters at it and give them a free hand on how to handle ticket distribution. Then one will see the difference. The common man will not tolerate non-deliverance, corruption or negative campaign. They will reward development, a non-corrupt Government, accessibility and transparency.
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