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The disastrous poll performance of the Congress in the Assembly elections and the post mortem in its wake, has given rise to rumblings within the party. Not only is the anger being targeted at the ‘UPA government’ and its failures, (the notion being the party is having to pay the price for government failures), it also being directed at the head of the government Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Several Congressman including senior leaders have started talking about the need to replace the Prime Minister if the party’s poll prospects are to be improved in time for 2014 general elections.
Resentment against the government has been simmering and the inability of the government to contain inflation and price rise; which the majority within the party believe has led to the party’s worst ever poll performance in bastions like Delhi and Rajasthan.
A fact that has gained ground since the time Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday ascribed “price rise” as one of the possible reasons for the Congress debacle.
Some MPs in strict confidence state it would be better if in the runup to the polls the Prime Ministerial face was changed. A three time MP speaking aloud said,“I cannot go to my constituency and ask for votes evoking Manmohan Singh’s name. Why not bring on Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister.”
Other senior leaders have also been urging that Rahul Gandhi be brought at this juncture as it could help the party on two counts – assuage the public anger as well as reenergize the party cadre.
A long serving Congressman outrightly accused the government under Manmohan Singh of dragging its feet on crucial issues which were ‘game changers’ for the party. “If the Food bill had to be brought in, why was it not brought in earlier in the term. At that time the government cited financial difficulties. What use is it, now bringing it in the last dying throes of UPA II?”
Despite the food bill being enacted, the government has not managed to identify all beneficiaries till date, a fact that is best exemplified in Delhi.
The disgruntlement is so acute, that the gulf between the party and the government has never been so deep said a party insider. “Unlike 2009, when the polls were fought under Manmohan as Prime Minister’s name – Now the gulf between the party and the government was never so unbridgeable. Now the situation is the opposite.”
Manmohan Singh is being viewed as a liability within the party. A figure who is far from political, Singh is not a vote catcher. His image and that of the government’s already being tainted under a cloud of scams and corruption allegations – there is a discernible demand that he be removed.
Appointing a political person as the Prime Minister would also help in resolving the dichotomy that exists in the dual power centre structure where the power divided between the PM and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
The speculation of replacing the PM gained momentum, after Congress President Sonia Gandhi addressing the media on December 8 after the poll rout, said, at the right time the party would be naming a Prime Ministerial candidate. This, according to political observers, is a far cry, from the confidence that the party used to repose in Manmohan Singh with Sonia Gandhi even stating at one time he would remain Prime Minister till 2014.
All this talk has incidentally coincided with speculation in the media over Chairman UID, Nandan Nilekani being considered as a Prime ministerial candidate. While the Congress has stoutly denied this as “rumour mongering”, the dispirited Congress cadres, its is clear are looking for a new face to lead them in the upcoming polls.
