Why is Congress grilled while BJP's expired presidency gets a free pass?

The ongoing criticism of the Congress leadership for its handling of the Karnataka power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar has triggered yet another familiar debate: why are some leadership crises amplified while others are quietly normalised?

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA.

Union Minister and Leader of the House JP Nadda speaks in Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session. ANI

For weeks, the Congress high command has been accused, and rightly so, of indecision, weak internal discipline, and a tendency to allow factional disputes to fester.

However, if succession management and adherence to internal rules are the metrics by which we measure party discipline, then the BJP’s national leadership deserves the same scrutiny—yet rarely receives it.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s constitution clearly prescribes a three-year term for its national president. The incumbent Jagat Prakash Nadda, who is the union health minister too, took charge on 20 January 2020, meaning his mandate formally expired in January 2023.