Congress disaster extra profound than management points,’ says political scientist Zoya Hasan

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The disaster surrounding the Congress is not only about ineffective management or organisational atrophy however one thing “more profound”, famous tutorial and political scientist Zoya Hasan mentioned on Friday, including that paradigmatic adjustments within the polity, economic system, and society are contributing elements.

At a dialogue on her new ebook ‘Ideology and Organisation in Indian Politics: Polarisation and Growing Crisis of the Congress Party’, Hasan mentioned ideological ambiguity on key points is a significant downside.

While calling the continuing ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ a great way to rebuild political capital and galvanise voters for the 2024 common elections, she mentioned, “it could eventually revive Congress by stirring a push back against communal politics and the slide into authoritarianism.” 

Hasan nonetheless added that whereas the Yatra gives a critique of the regime and the governance document, it doesn’t present a imaginative and prescient for the nation which requires extra substance.

“The decline of Congress needs to be read with the spectacular growth of its ideological other –the BJP. The success of the current regime derives from its ability to redirect Indian public discourse with a large number of voters viewing themselves through the prism of their overreaching religious identity,” mentioned Hasan.

She mentioned the discourse moved from “material deprivation” to that of “victimhood of the majority community” which thinks it has been disadvantaged of its rightful place in a Hindu nation.

Hasan famous that the organisational disaster within the Congress has been aggravated by centralisation within the arms of high leaders, who lack floor degree help. 

“Without crafting a clear Opposition philosophy, Congress cannot mobilise ground support to counter identity politics,” she mentioned.

Talking concerning the “leadership crisis” within the get together which didn’t have a full-time president for nearly three years after Rahul Gandhi’s resignation, she mentioned even because the election of a “non-Gandhi” (Mallilkarjun Kharge) to the publish of Congress president is a major change, it can not resolve the deep rooted issues of the get together.

Congress chief Mani Shankar Aiyar nonetheless mentioned that the publish of president within the get together has not at all times been the highest management, and identified that Mahatma Gandhi was not a member of Congress for a very long time, however nonetheless was the principle face of the get together.

“I doubt if Mallikarjun Kharge was leading Bharat Jodo Yatra, there would be as many people following,” mentioned Aiyar.

“Leadership is not related to the presidency of the party. Congress did elect its president and I’m afraid nothing changed,” he mentioned.

Aiyar additionally admitted that the Congress has a number of leaders who don’t have ground-level help.  

“Congress is a set of barons with a king at the top,” he mentioned.

“There are people who have captured positions, they’ve captured it by avoiding elections, most of them are in Rajya Sabha. They are the ones who stopped Rajiv Gandhi, and then Sonia Gandhi from undertaking changes, and they are also stopping Rahul Gandhi from making changes,” he mentioned.

The veteran Congress chief opined that forging alliances is the way in which ahead for the get together for its revival.

“If we say, let all parties ready to oppose BJP come together, with no guarantees of who will be the Prime Minister, we leave it to the election outcome, there is a possibility that the two-thirds that did not vote for BJP will support,” he mentioned.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s former advisor Harish Khare in the meantime mentioned the Congress failed to know that unhealthy politics results in unhealthy governance, which results in “communalisation.”

He credited Singh for the victory of Congress-led alliance in 2009, and mentioned, “the biggest insecurity was at 10, Janpath.” 

“Within two months of Sharm El Sheikh, the entire Congress turned its back on its own PM. Congress leaders were sabotaging the PM’s agenda. Pranab Mukherjee – the number two man and AK Antony, who was the number three, became the biggest saboteur,” he mentioned.

“The crisis is entirely of family overload. Unless that is sorted out we will see the rise of the right wing unchallenged,” he added.

NEW DELHI: The disaster surrounding the Congress is not only about ineffective management or organisational atrophy however one thing “more profound”, famous tutorial and political scientist Zoya Hasan mentioned on Friday, including that paradigmatic adjustments within the polity, economic system, and society are contributing elements.

At a dialogue on her new ebook ‘Ideology and Organisation in Indian Politics: Polarisation and Growing Crisis of the Congress Party’, Hasan mentioned ideological ambiguity on key points is a significant downside.

While calling the continuing ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ a great way to rebuild political capital and galvanise voters for the 2024 common elections, she mentioned, “it could eventually revive Congress by stirring a push back against communal politics and the slide into authoritarianism.” 

Hasan nonetheless added that whereas the Yatra gives a critique of the regime and the governance document, it doesn’t present a imaginative and prescient for the nation which requires extra substance.

“The decline of Congress needs to be read with the spectacular growth of its ideological other –the BJP. The success of the current regime derives from its ability to redirect Indian public discourse with a large number of voters viewing themselves through the prism of their overreaching religious identity,” mentioned Hasan.

She mentioned the discourse moved from “material deprivation” to that of “victimhood of the majority community” which thinks it has been disadvantaged of its rightful place in a Hindu nation.

Hasan famous that the organisational disaster within the Congress has been aggravated by centralisation within the arms of high leaders, who lack floor degree help. 

“Without crafting a clear Opposition philosophy, Congress cannot mobilise ground support to counter identity politics,” she mentioned.

Talking concerning the “leadership crisis” within the get together which didn’t have a full-time president for nearly three years after Rahul Gandhi’s resignation, she mentioned even because the election of a “non-Gandhi” (Mallilkarjun Kharge) to the publish of Congress president is a major change, it can not resolve the deep rooted issues of the get together.

Congress chief Mani Shankar Aiyar nonetheless mentioned that the publish of president within the get together has not at all times been the highest management, and identified that Mahatma Gandhi was not a member of Congress for a very long time, however nonetheless was the principle face of the get together.

“I doubt if Mallikarjun Kharge was leading Bharat Jodo Yatra, there would be as many people following,” mentioned Aiyar.

“Leadership is not related to the presidency of the party. Congress did elect its president and I’m afraid nothing changed,” he mentioned.

Aiyar additionally admitted that the Congress has a number of leaders who don’t have ground-level help.  

“Congress is a set of barons with a king at the top,” he mentioned.

“There are people who have captured positions, they’ve captured it by avoiding elections, most of them are in Rajya Sabha. They are the ones who stopped Rajiv Gandhi, and then Sonia Gandhi from undertaking changes, and they are also stopping Rahul Gandhi from making changes,” he mentioned.

The veteran Congress chief opined that forging alliances is the way in which ahead for the get together for its revival.

“If we say, let all parties ready to oppose BJP come together, with no guarantees of who will be the Prime Minister, we leave it to the election outcome, there is a possibility that the two-thirds that did not vote for BJP will support,” he mentioned.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s former advisor Harish Khare in the meantime mentioned the Congress failed to know that unhealthy politics results in unhealthy governance, which results in “communalisation.”

He credited Singh for the victory of Congress-led alliance in 2009, and mentioned, “the biggest insecurity was at 10, Janpath.” 

“Within two months of Sharm El Sheikh, the entire Congress turned its back on its own PM. Congress leaders were sabotaging the PM’s agenda. Pranab Mukherjee – the number two man and AK Antony, who was the number three, became the biggest saboteur,” he mentioned.

“The crisis is entirely of family overload. Unless that is sorted out we will see the rise of the right wing unchallenged,” he added.