Some thoughts about anchoring UPA's ship

Raju Korti
Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar has trekked a long political expedition since the days I first met him in 1978 as the leader of then Progressive Democratic Front. He had by then established enough credentials in outfoxing veterans with manoeuvres startling even by the standards of his Machiavellian mentor Yashwantrao Chavan. A sulking Vasant Dada Patil, four times chief minister of Maharashtra, had told me how the newbie politician had upstaged him with  machinations that had left him cynical and bitter. In the decades that followed, Pawar left little doubt about his acumen that many believe is a euphemism for treachery. 

It is not my case here to dwell on Pawar's cunning but his name being proposed as the next Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance has a ring of mystery to it given the flux in which the alliance finds itself in. That Pawar should be a key player in this mist is perhaps well in tune with his political record since the man's craft and shrewdness thrives in such political rigmaroles. As his name emerged as a front-runner for the UPA's presiding chair, I suspect we are in for another long spell of political intrigue. The NCP has been quick to dismiss all such talk but when it comes to Pawar there are no guarantees which way he will turn and when. 

There are no prizes for guessing why Sonia Gandhi has expressed reluctance in continuing as the chairperson. Her own party of die-hard loyalists has now openly started raising a banner of revolt. Mind you, the Congress was never a united party -- no party is; including the BJP -- and dissensions were always rife but the Gandhis managed to keep them in check with their so called personal charisma. Apparently, many leaders in the party see no chance of their elevation and have now started coming out of their shell to demand a change in leadership. Sonia seems to have caught on to the fact that discretion is better, and in any case, it makes sense to put someone else in the hot seat. Who else than Sharad Pawar? And for those who wonder what exactly is the difference between Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena except of course ego issues, it is the same difference between Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.

The Congress is likely to hold party elections early next year to select a new president since Rahul does not want to anchor the party's adrift ship. Sonia was forced to become the interim president after Rahul put in his papers in the wake of the rout during the parliamentary elections. Frustrated veterans in the party like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibbal, Shashi Tharoor, Prithviraj Chavan -- among 23 others --  who have for too long pedalled the Gandhi line see this as a chance to wrest some control with the party at its weakest since its checkered history. Instead of brooding over the situation, the partymen should decisively pitch for a change if they want it revitalized with new ideas. It is not just that the Gandhis have outlived their authority, the party has to shake off its culture of sycophancy and win back people's trust if it is to regain the center-stage and emerge as a strong alternative. The fact is Congress has only made things difficult for itself.

The UPA needs a leader who is a veteran and astute politician and has the ability to negotiate with other parties. So far, there have been enough indications that regional leaders like Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin could be tough customers who may not fall in line with the present dispensation of Congress. As for the opposition parties, Pawar fits the bill but then many in Congress feel that he cannot be always trusted. Age is also not on his side. Giving space to Pawar could be suicidal even if the NCP were to merge with the Congress. The Congressmen haven't forgotten how Pawar had opposed Sonia being a foreigner and formed his party on that plank. If Pawar does take over the reins of UPA, Congress will be completely usurped and would at best appear a poor cousin.

It is not as if Congress and NCP are made for each other but they do not have any other option but to court each other for what they believe is the common cause -- checkmating Modi. The inherent contradictions within the Congress and NCP coupled with the issue of who should head the UPA is what promises to be another teaser. It could well trigger another power tussle that may further queer the pitch for both the parties. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. As Vasant Dada Patil told me long back, all opposition parties could come together but fractions within the Congress can never unite. The Congress has lived through these internal dissensions and contradictions. This time its a different story.