NEW DELHI: Congress The rebels have decided to go public with their problems and up the ante on the grievances that have rocked the party for months since the G-23 leaders presented their set of demands.
A group of prominent G-23 leaders will attend public meetings in Jammu on Saturday and Sunday. While the programs are called greeting functions for Ghulam Nabi Azad, who has just retired from Rajya Sabha, sources said they would sound the battle cry against “BJP majoritarianism,” an abbreviation for the message that Congress is failing in its duty to mobilize progressive forces.
The group claimed it would maintain such “non-political platforms” across the country to bring together “progressive parties like the separatist teams in Congress” and they are starting from “the head of India and will work their way up to the tail of India.” Sources said a demonstration was being planned in Kurukshetra, the stronghold of former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda of Haryana.
Among those likely to attend the Jammu performance are Anand Sharma, Hooda, Kapil sibal, Vivek Tankha and Manish Tewari, and possibly Shashi tharoor and Akhilesh Singh.
The event came as a surprise to many, as the CWC’s decision to hold internal elections in June was believed to have resolved the controversy sparked by the G-23’s demand for organizational reforms.
A member of the group said that Gujarat’s defeat in urban polls and the fall of the Puducherry The government demonstrated that the current structure of Congress was not fulfilling its duty to confront the BJP. He said there were serious reservations about the choice of managers in charge of key party functions. Azad, who used to be in charge of negotiations with DMK, was ignored this week.
“There is exasperation and we are just getting our message across to the party that politics must be taken seriously,” said one MP.
If after Jammu, the rebels go nationals with public duties, it will mark a serious shake-up for Congress facing difficult times ahead, beginning with the task of seizing power from the BJP in Assam and winning in Kerala against the left front.
Many believe the rebels are positioning themselves for the results of the May assembly. A negative result may put more pressure on senior congressional officials led by Rahul gandhi and the rebels can gain more traction. “Our numbers are growing, the party should remember,” said one leader.
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