I BELIEVE PM MODI WILL DEFINITELY HOIST THE TIRANGA FROM THE RED FORT NOT JUST IN 2024, BUT IN 2029 AS WELL: Dr CHANDRA

Detailing how Congress Working Committee is a burden for the grand-old party, Dr Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Bharat24-Vision of New India; CMD and Editor-in-Chief of First India News and First India, states that no unanimous decision can be taken in a committee which has 84 members. He states G23 is a thing of the past and will not be formed again. Including journalists as spokespersons may be a welcome change in the Congress, but Congress will still lag behind when it comes to even throwing a challenge to Modi-Shah, says Dr Jagdeesh Chandra. Excerpts… (Part II)

• What was the reason for increase in the total number of leaders in CWC from 39 to 84? Also, what has been the political history of these additional individuals?
  Dr Jagdeesh Chandra: Like I said, Rahul Gandhi must have been disappointed to see the list and smiled too, reminiscing the plans he had for the Congress and what has actually happened. What is the point of having 84 leaders? Congress has created the CWC which includes all leaders, even if they had a failed electoral journey or if their political career was not at its highest. They have created the CWC which includes all their stalwarts, barring just a few. 84 is like a wedding processing and can you honestly come to any unanimous decision in this ‘Baraat’? The answer is “No.” So, they have created this ‘Baraat’ as per their whims and fancies.

• So will this ‘CWC Baraat’ ever finalise its decision on anything?
  It is almost impossible. Just imagine, if 84 people are in the ‘Darbar’ and if you raise an issue, as a natural consequence of this, won’t these 84 individuals voice out their individual opinion on the issue at hand? So who will finalise the decision? Kharge can’t because neither his age nor the necessary impact in the party is on his side. He will approach the ‘power centres’ i.e. Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and the entire time would be wasted in this. So, one should not hope that a committee of 84 individuals can take a decision or ensure value addition to something, it certainly does not seem so.

• Should we believe that G23 is a thing of the past?
  Yes. G23 has been buried and all its members have come back. Perhaps some of them apologised to make a comeback into the party or perhaps Kharge brought them back to show Sonia Gandhi that he has united the Congress party. People like Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibbal had gone out and there is no way through which they could rejoin the party. Among them, Sibbal is a special individual and he actually does not need anyone as he is a lawyer. Ghulam Nabi cannot not come back even if he wants to. Remaining disgruntled leaders have now come back because they do not have any other option. Thus, one can say that the G23 has been buried now.

• A senior Congress leader has quipped that what ever best the Congress has been left with, has been included in the CWC, since many party’s leaders have joined the BJP.
  To some extent that is right. If you do not give result and don’t keep your herd along, then this is bound to happen. If you can’t keep your flock together, then the neighbour is bound to lure them in. Politics today hovers around the principle of ‘Saam, Daam, Dand, Bhed,’ but it is not that most of the party leaders have left. About 50 legislators from across the nation may have joined BJP. Congress is still left with a substantial number of legislators and the party should use them accordingly. But Congress leaders can’t get above groupism and then there is the issue of disgruntlement, which is natural. It is natural because expectations are the tragedy of life and you can’t make everyone happy. For example, there is Acharya Pramod, who praises Pilot, he too is disgruntled with the appointments as are other leaders. But perhaps what has more impact is a person’s luck. Those who have not been included, for them I would say that perhaps it was not in their luck and they should try again. I would tell you a story of luck concerned with Rajasthan. About year and a half back, the Union Cabinet shuffle was to happen and during this time, it was almost decided that Diya Kumari would be inducted in the Cabinet. Suddenly, it was heard that the name was removed. Why did it happen? Because the party had to cater to all communities and in that permutation-combination, the name was removed. Now look at Pilot’s luck. He fell short of becoming CM twice and once, mere 24 hours played a decisive role and the oath was to be taken the next morning, and the night before a rebellion happened. So, one can’t do away with luck. In totality, there are a handful of reasons for people’s disgruntlement. Issue with the Congress is that there is a big ‘crowd’ and not everyone can be adjusted.

• Will there be a repeat of the G23 then?
  No, I don’t think so. The situation does not exist to form another G23 like group. Those who formed the G23, they have fallen back in line after failing to make any impact. They are not too motivated. Like I said, there is no need to be excited with the Congress Working Committee. I don’t see that any major change would come to the party through this CWC and whatever ‘parivartan’ the Congress will garner, will be, to a limit, through Rahul Gandhi’s ‘yatra’ which people will keep joining at different phases. And the only positive note through this would be that may be Rahul Gandhi gets a few lakh votes to the party’s kitty, that is all. Votes will not be garnered through Priyanka Gandhi and everyone has witnessed Congress’ debacle in Uttar Pradesh polls. Priyanka’s impact was killed by the party itself as the leaders did not let her come forward and now there are various ‘power centres’ in Congress. So now, Rahul Gandhi has parted ways with them and is focused on his public life, and is on the path to establish a ‘singleton politics’. Such actions do not make the party. People in the party had pinned their hopes on Rahul Gandhi and on the other hand, he is saying that he will tow his own line as a single entity.

• Shashi Tharoor had filed his nomination for contesting the Congress President election even though Kharge was known to become the President. This was seen as a rebellion. Now, Tharoor has been given place in the CWC. How do you look at this development?
  This should be appreciated. It is party’s internal democracy and it is freedom of expression. Such large-heartedness can be displayed only by Sonia Gandhi and Kharge. Rather Kharge must have inspired Sonia Gandhi that no, this leader was contesting against him, but he (Kharge) has no bad blood with Tharoor and that Tharoor should be included in the CWC. See, firstly, CWC is the way to include all disgruntled leaders in the party, to bring forth ambitious individuals and since ticket distribution is far off, thus this place in CWC has been accorded to give such leaders a sense of security. It is an attempt to appease the leaders within the party.

• Pratibha Singh, wife of former CM of Himachal Veerbhadra Singh, who is currently holding the charge of PCC Chief in the hill-state, she has also been given place in CWC. Does she have any political relevance?
  The political relevance stems from the fact that she is a force in Himachal. Earlier, there was an immense tussle to appoint her son as the CM, but somehow that matter was settled. From what I have heard, word is that she is in touch with BJP leadership and talks are going on to join BJP. It could be that the Congress High Command also came to know of this and thus, to retain power in Himachal, she has been included in CWC. See, now CWC has become a flexible unit and there is no merit appointment made now in CWC. Her son is in the Cabinet. As such, the threat of ‘Operation Lotus’ looms large over every state and if something happens, then only she can lead that change as there is no one else who can lead this change.

• During re-organisation, Congress has accorded spokesperson status to Jairam Ramesh, and two other leaders. What does this mean?
  It is a good effort. They should bring journalists with them. As such Jairam Ramesh is a good spokesperson. Pawan Khera has been a professional journalist and then third is Supriya Shrinate, she was also a journalist and hails from a political family. I think she contested election in 2019 but luck did not favour her. So another journalist has entered politics which I welcome. It is a good effort that they brought in journalists and we welcome that move.

• In their election strategy, Modi-Shah give preference to youth, tribals, OBCs and women. Will the new CWC rise up to this challenge and counter it?
  CWC has taken up this challenge. 66 % seats have been given to this category i.e. the proforma of ten categories. In that way, Congress Working Committee is successful. But their selection is done on meaningful basis but the selection of CWC is part of appeasement, by and large. This is a major difference between the two. But yes, one can say that CWC has been successful on these issues.

• PM Modi, on August 15, said that he will hoist the Tricolour from Red Fort yet again next year. What is your take on this?
  His self-confidence is always at its highest. You talk about 2024, he is talking about 2047! And his confidence gets him success. Whatever he has said till date, he has achieved it & the confidence with which PM Modi talks about the future, I believe he will definitely hoist the Tricolour from Red Fort in 2024 as well. From the indications that are before us today, it appears that not just 2024, but even hoisting of Tricolour in 2029 will be done by him only.

• Will Congress’ new team be able to compete with Modi in 2024?
  It is almost impossible. Competing with ModiShah is extremely difficult. And for this, one needs luck, effort, strategy & then, there should be someone who does that amount of hard work and add to that the popularity needed. This combination is extremely rare & till date, this seems impossible. Just for the sake of arguments, I can give you ten conflicting opinions, but the fact remains that in today’s day & age, no one can challenge or compete with them.

During the show #JConRahulUTurn trended top All-India on Twitter