Rudderless Congress runs aground

The Congress appears to be directionless as was evident from the one-day session held in Ahmedabad recently.

- PANKAJ VOHRA

Its leaders keep on repeating themselves with no marked improvement in its prospects and refuse to learn from their previous mistakes.

Rabindranath Tagore's famous lines seem most applicable. "The song I came to sing remains unsung because I have spent all the time in stringing and unstringing my instruments." This is true of the grand old party where in every conclave certain announcements and declarations are made which remain unimplemented afterwards.

The plight of the Congress, which has ruled for over 50 years since Independence, is most pathetic. The high command is oblivious of the ground realities and there is neither any preparation nor strategy that is visible.

The next round of elections is in Bihar where Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who despite being supported by the BJP, seems to be in trouble. Instead of holding the AICC session in a poll-bound state, those who preside over the fortunes of the Congress decided that it should be in Gujarat. Why?

There seems to be no logic in this decision either and in any case many top leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were conspicuous by their absence and many of those who went there, returned disillusioned since in their perception the leadership lacks both vision and clarity.