Loser takes all

With factionalism rife within the Congress in states headed for Assembly elections in October and the party's prospects decidedly bleak, a Congress leader laconically commented that it appeared as though the party was headed for a comeback in Maharashtra and Haryana. "The rate at which all the dissidents are squabbling among themselves in order to be designated chief minister, surely, we are coming back to power otherwise why would there be so much fighting to be named chief minister?" He was referring to Narayan Rane's revolt against Prithviraj Chavan's leadership in Maharashtra, and Chaudhary Birender Singh against Bhupinder Singh Hooda's leadership in Haryana. That could also apply to Assam, where Himanta Biswa Sarma had demanded that Tarun Gogoi be removed and he be made chief minister, though the state goes to the polls only early next year.