The Congress effected a major organisational reshuffle last weekend, a notable change being replacing Goa's desk in-charge Manickam Tagore with former Maharashtra minister Manikrao Thakre and entrusting poll responsibility of four north-eastern states of Tripura, Sikkim, Manipur and Nagaland to former Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar, seen as a gentle way to 'shunt him out'.
The decision to move Chodankar comes at a time when the former GPCC chief was warming up to contest the South Goa Lok Sabha seat having proceeded on long leave from his teaching profession and initiating an interactive exercise with various sections of people in a build-up to elections. Furthermore, the reshuffle has happened much ahead of Congress picking up its candidates for both the Goa seats, meaning it has a direct bearing on elections.
It would be immature to presume that Chodankar would be the Congress face for the South Goa seat after his transfer order to the northeastern states because no party would assign responsibilities of multiple states to candidates when elections are fast approaching. It can't be a comprise deal for a ticket as made out to be. Rather, the move is seen as the first big sign of no confidence in Chodankar who held sway over party affairs even after stepping aside from the leadership.
Manickam Tagore’s exit, on the other hand, was imminent since he was unable to navigate the tricky political terrain of Goa and bring about a much-needed transformation within the party. Tagore, a Member of Parliament from Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu who has been now appointed as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh made no significant progress in rebuilding the party in Goa after being rocked by defections from time to time. Moreover, even after nearly a year as the Goa desk in charge, the senior leader could not translate his thoughts and statements into decisive actions leaving the party as disoriented as before.
On that count, roping in Manikrao Thakre is a sensible move, because here is a man who is credited with the recent success of Congress in Telangana and more importantly he was responsible for bringing together the warring Telangana Congress groups. Another positive is that Thakre hails from neighbouring Maharashtra and would be in a far better position to understand the contours of Goa’s political landscape. Thakre comes with a lot of experience in handling rebellion and is known to be a strategist in taking pressure off. His seniority in politics and his background as a former Home Minister of Maharashtra could be also an added advantage for the party in Goa.
However, with the reshuffle coming just months ahead of the Lok Sabha election, Thakre will have an uphill task of getting a grip on the party scenario, identifying the factions within and troubleshooting situations as the clock is ticking. The Congress high command, however, appears to have not learnt from past mistakes and remains undecided on candidates.
The Congress leadership may be working on a plan in the organisational reshuffle, but States like Goa need observers who can act like a glue to blend party men torn apart on various lines, and that would be Thakre’s biggest challenge, a factor that could be decisive in the battle of the ballot.
