The Congress high command, in a swift move, deputed seasoned campaigner and veteran party strategist P Chidambaram as party’s senior election observer to Goa. The appointment reflects a sense of seriousness with which Congress central leadership is approaching the elections. But, can Chidambaram bring together warring sections within the State unit and give the party a sense of direction by taking a firm decision on leadership? These are the questions that will need answers.
The vast experience of the urbane leader from Tamil Nadu who has been in the news since the 1980s and his exemplary leadership skills could bode well for the Cong. The three-time Union Minister of Finance is currently seen as a prominent voice in the Opposition at the Centre excoriating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several policy decisions and also gradually emerging as the consensus choice of a group of Opposition for the Prime Ministership post at the next elections polls.
Moreover, Chidambaram is known to be forthright and outspoken. It was during the Bihar election debacle, he said that the Congress lacked an organisational presence on the ground, an honest and bold admission in times of defeat that left party leaders exposed. In Goa, Chidambaram walks in when the organisational setup is in disarray, with rebellion splitting the rank and file, and the leadership losing the confidence of seniors.
The veteran Central leader's presence will infuse some adrenaline, but there will be questions about whether Chidambaram would get into tricky organisational issues. Elections strategies and plans can fructify only if the leadership issue, which is kept hanging even after the Delhi meeting, is settled. If we may recall, Rahul Gandhi, in his interaction with State Congress leaders, skirted the leadership issue and instead stressed unity. Before Chidambaram embarks on his new assignment, he will have to give clarity on who is going to lead.
Goa desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao had pushed the ball in the court of the high command and has also failed to bring the warring sections together. He has mostly indulged in a critique of the Pramod Sawant government. The party appears to be wavering in its promises to its cadre that defectors and party deserters will not be rehabilitated.
However, with Benjamin Silva recalled and former AAP Convenor and a fierce critic of the Congress Elvis Gomes given a grand welcome, the party appears to be heading for a bigger crisis during ticket allocation.
The biggest drawback of Congress has been its indecisiveness during election time. Clear leadership and direction are habitually lacking, and the few decisions that are being taken, although strategically planned to checkmate opposition ahead of the polls, lack a clear consensus within the seniors.
Goa will be a completely new turf for the seasoned leader, and with barely six months for elections, Chidambaram will have limited time to study the party leaders in the State and assess their strengths and weakness. However, in a chaotic scenario, there are a lot of expectations on Chidambaram.
