Congress yet to wake up from slumber even as leaders call it quits

Top leadership prefers silence; G-23 leaders in the Congress stay worried

Ashwani Kumar’s resignation for the Congress party has not spurred the party high command to even utter a word. Its complete silence up there, but the senior leader’s exit has brought back the noise that remained silent in the G-23 camp. The G-23 is a grouping of senior leaders in the Congress party who had been clamouring for reforms at the top of the party’s affairs, including the leadership.

Kumar’s exit is seen by the G-23 leaders as a statement that proclaims that all is not well within the Congress party. Senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s statement that the exit of leaders from the party needs to be seen as a matter of serious concern is so relevant.

Congress needs sincere introspection, feel G-23 leaders

Along with Ghulam Nabi Azad, leaders such as Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari and others have opined that party needs to have sincere introspection on what has been happening within its fold.  These three leaders, as part of G-23, had urged Congress president Sonia Gandhi way back in 2020 to bring about changes in the party.

Many a leader leaving the party even at a time it is fighting crucial elections to various state Assemblies hasn’t made the leadership budge. That might sound funny, but the reality is that the party is sliding downhill as Ashwani Kumar himself had said at the time of quitting the party.

The election results in five states are due on March 10, and the G-23 leaders might be fearing an implosion in the party soon afterwards. The impact shall be manifold if the poll outcomes in these states do not favour the Congress party. There are many in the grand old party who fear this could happen. And if it actually does, it is sure going to be a headache for Sonia Gandhi, her kids and the people who still want them to continue at the top.

March 10, a crucial date?

Whatever be the outcome of the polls, the Congress will have to revamp itself. Only such a move shall hold party functionaries together under the party umbrella.  Ashwani Kumar’s exit is being seen with much worry by many leaders in the party, as he was close to most of them. For instance, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is also part of the G-23 grouping, took to Twitter to express concern over Kumar’s move. The news of Ashwani Kumar leaving Congress is explained by Hooda as sad and unfortunate. He may not be the only one who will tweet their views in the coming days.

Having said that, what the Congress would need to do now is very clear. Revamping the party with the nation’s interest as prime objective and holding close all leaders by taking them into confidence is what the leadership should start doing now. Will Sonia and her bunch of supporters think on those lines is not known as of now. But if she does go for it at least now would stop the Congress slump.