NEW DELHI: The analogy is indeed striking. In the Chinese fable the foolish old man tried to move the mountain. It is however not yet certain whether the Prime Minister and Congress (I) president P.V. Narasimha Rao acted wisely or foolishly in deciding to go ahead with the long postponed Party polls.
But already the 107-yr-old party has been shaken by the exercise undertaken to break its inertia. In most of the states the party is being given by open rivalry between the factions over the elections. The All India Congress (I) Committee (AIC) has even used by feuding groups in Bihar.
In Madhya Pradesh the election process remains suspended with the faction leaders failing to arrive at a consensus. In half-a-dozen districts the dispute over the electoral rolls continues. The district and block returning officers are yet to be appointed. Arjun Singh the Pradesh Congress (I) Committee (PCC) president states that the leaders have broadly agreed to work on a consensus to avoid contests.
The view however is strongly contested by Shvana Charan Shukla opposition leader in the State Assembly and Singh’s bete noire. With the problems becoming intractable the Congress (I) president has asked Balram Jakhar party general secretary in charge of the elections to rush to Bhopal to hammer out a compromise between the rival wars loads of the state Congress (I). “Though February 4isthe revised deadline for completing the poll process Madhya Pradeshit may take some more time.
In Bihar the organizational polls have offered Jaganath Mishra he street-smart party leaders in the Assembly an opportunity 10 restore his old supremacy which has been challenged by other ambitious satraps. When the membership drive began Mishra left his challengers way behind by enrolling his men throughout the state According to one estimate of the 24 lakh primary membrane’s 18-lakch are his supporters.
So much so that Bhagwat Jha Azad Mishras rival woke up to the reality that he did not have enough support in the party to get elected to an important committee. “The AICC observer for the state. V.N.Gadgil however managed to ensure his election.
Nothing however could have been more ironic than the protest dharna with which one section of party men greeted the resumption of the poll process in Orissa: They alleged irregularities in enrollment and finalizing the active member’s fist. Names of many active members they say, have been deleted from the electoral rolls.
Factionalism erupted one again in the Orissa Congress (I) on the occasion of the party polls. Infect the group led by Hemananda Biswal sought Raos intervention in stalling the election process. The polls they charged are not being conducted in a free and fair manner. The Biswal group accuses the PCC (I) vice-president Ramnath Panda of enlisting bogus members Clearly Biswal tried to postpone the polls.
The former chief minister J.B.Patnaik though still being opposed by a powerful section of Party men has exploited the disunity in the rival camp. Though he has not announced his candidature yet he has his eyes on the PCC (I) President ship Alarmed by his Prospect his adversities tried to sink their differences and projected Hemanand Biswal as the consensus candidate for the post. They however could not convince Baswant Biswal the present incumbent to set down in favor of the consensus candidate.
The Andhra Pradesh intense top buying is on for the coveted PCC) president ship. Manumartma Rao who is currently holding the post has stated his decision to enter the fray for his re-election. The returning officers have already left for the districts for the lower-level elections: Two AICC observers Meira Kumar and Rafiq Alam are currently engaged in hectic parleys to ensure a consensus for most of the posts.
Unfamiliar with the intra-party democratic process the office bearers of the Bangalore District Congress (I) Committee in fact moved the court to get a stay on elections in two blocks. A civil out judge found that the returning officer had not observed the rules in the election procedure. The stay is only an indication of the intense schism between the factions.
With the Chief Minister S.Bangarappa trying to fill all important posts with his men the Union Railway Minister C.K Jaffer Sharief met Gundu Rao and Rajashekhara Murty a close associate of Veerendra Patil at a tea-party recently to chalk out their strategy. They decided to urge the party high command to stay the booth-level elections. They argued that Bangarappa was using police and money-power to ensure his committees election. Ran Karwa pointed out members but even the returning officers did not tum up for the elections of the booth-committees in at least six districts.
In Pune where the Sharad Pawar and Gadgil factions decided to Jock homes the poll process was going to be stalemated. However finally both factions have agreed to a unique compromise. They will occupy the city Congress Presidents post by rotations.” In Rajasthan the organizational polls have sharply divided the Congress (I) into two warring factions. Party men are openly saying that if the returning officer happens to belong to one faction its victory in that particular district is certain. The powerful faction led by the former Chief Minister Harideo Joshi has an advantage as it could ensure selection of its men as the returning officers.
The contest is confined between the Joshi group and the one led by the PCC (I) chief Paras Ram Madema who has the backing of the union Agriculture Minister Balram Jakha. Others like the Union Telecommunication Minister Rajesh Pilot the Textile Minister Ashok Gehot Jaganath pahadia and Shiv Charan Mathua have been able to get the presiding officers of their choice Bhajan set to capture party.
In Haryana the Chief Minister Bhajan Lals men are set to capture the entire party organization Bhajan Lal himself has been returned to the POC (I) from hisbome district of Misar Hisson Chander Mohan and another relation to have been elected. In the 161 strong PCC (I) the chief minister is sure to enjoy the command of more than 125.
In Assam the just-concluded polls have further strengthened the position of the Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia. Saikia who was unanimously elected the PCC) president however has declined to accept the post on the plea of his adherence to the one-man one-post norm Dharanidhar Basumatari a Saikia protégé has filed in the vacancy. Significantly all the Sakia detractors including Kesab Gogoi and the youth leader Kirip Chaliha could not make it to the PCC (I).
The party polls which were expected to strengthen the Congress party’s democratic foundation have brought in unprecedented chaos. Ironically the lower-level leaders who are supposed to reap the benefit of this exercise are opposing the elections. In the Chinese story the old man pushed the mountain without being able to move it. One sincerely hopes Narasimha Rao does not need same fare.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 31, 1992
