The disintegration of the Congress seems to have begun in the states. The flight of senior and middle level leaders looking for more prudent options from state units continues.

The disintegration of the Congress seems to have begun in the states. The flight of senior and middle level leaders looking for more prudent options from state units continues. A trickle now, it threatens to be a flood soon even as an apathetic, indifferent and invisible central leadership sits twiddling its fingers, refusing to be proactive.

The name, Mangat Ram, does not ring a bell outside Jammu and Kashmir. But he is a big figure when it comes to the politics of the state. A former deputy chief minister who spent 60 years in the Congress, keeping it alive against heavy odds, Pandit ji, as he is known, along with his son, Subhash, quit the party a couple of days ago to join the People’s Democratic Party.

Even though most saw it coming, it just heaps more embarrassment on the party’s doorstep as Sharma was also a member of Congress-NC Coordination Committee. “Congress is not the same party as it was earlier, there is no room for seniors like me anymore,” he said. Elections to the state have been announced on 25 November this year.

It almost “déjà vu” when you go back a month or so and almost a similar statement had come from another Congress stalwart in Haryana and Rajya Sabha MP, Chaudhary Birender Singh who joined the BJP on the eve of Haryana assembly elections. In this case, he wasn’t alone as almost 15 sitting MLAs left the party for greener pastures. Amongst all political parties in the state, the Congress has the highest number of defectors and the party had to expel over 40 leaders in the state unit. Others who stayed back have openly blamed former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda for the defeat.

“All leaders play a part in leading a party to victory, but our CM only projected himself,” said Kumari Selja, senior Congress leader and former Union Minister.

Maharashtra too wasn’t without its share of defectors, former Congress stalwart Datta Meghe’s son Samir was one of the few who switched to BJP and won. While others like former minister Sanjay Deotale weren’t too lucky as they lost this time around. Apart from the 15 year anti-incumbency, it was also the lack of inspiring leadership in the state that led to the party losing many potential candidates across the state.

One would argue that every party has its share of turncoats during elections, but Congress seems to top the charts across all election bound states this year. After accepting the people’s verdict of 16 May, Congress president had assured party workers that they will soon take stock and be back as a true Opposition that will keep the new government on its toes. The highest decision-making body of the party, Congress Working Committee (CWC) too met a few days later only to be turned into an emotional one as both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi offered their resignations which were expectedly rejected. Since then, the party has been waiting anxiously for their leadership to step out from the shadows and take charge, the wait continues even now.

Just what ails the Congress leadership? That is the big question even in the party circle. The Gandhis refuse to come out of their shell despite the growing frustration amongst the cadre. The exodus of leaders in poll bound states seems to be the only “change” happening within the Grand Old Party.

This lack of pro-active leadership is now exposing the chinks in the armour of an otherwise party hierarchy ruled by an iron fist till now.

Senior leader Janardan Dwivedi was the first who spoke of a “retirement age” for seniors, then came Digvijaya Singh who admitted that the party had the lost the “war of perception” to the BJP and PM Narendra Modi during the general elections. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor continues to thank PM Modi for his efforts to rejuvenate UPA’s now renamed scheme ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ despite losing his position as spokesperson of the party.

Now P Chidambaram too has spoken of the need for the Gandhi to communicate more often in the current political scenario. “He is absolutely right about our leadership not being visible enough, it is there for everyone to see,” says a senior Congress leader on condition of anonymity. “But Sonia Ji and Rahul Ji need to realise that time is running out, they need to decide quickly before the unease is exploited by vested interests within the party,” he confides.