Rahul remains a prisoner of 'attitude problem'

Gandhi scion needs to adapt himself; Congress may have to pay a heavy price if party takes Azad's departure lightly.

- AJIT MAINDOLA

With many leaders likely to raise their heads in rebellion in the wake of veteran politician Ghulam Nabi Azad's departure from the Congress, Rahul Gandhi is said to have decided not to stop anyone from quitting the party in future. "Whosoever wants to say goodbye to the party is free to do so" is what the former Congress chief's decision. This is what the leaders close to the Gandhi scion say. But the question is whether this kind of attitude is correct? Perhaps not, if one goes by the prevailing circumstances.

Undeniably, the Congress is presently struggling for its survival and existence. It is, therefore, easy to measure the loss that the Congress will suffer if even a single leader quits it. And if a seasoned and experienced leader like Ghulam Nabi Azad quits the party, it is bound to negatively impact and harm the organisation considerably. What is more important is that the development has come at a time when the party is struggling to put its house in order both in terms of structure and elections. Former Congress stalwart, Azad had reasons that prompted this action on his part. Needless to say, the party gave him a lot of opportunities. But what is also a fact that Azad always stood by the party during crisis. As a trusted lieutenant, Azad remained steadfast in his support to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. As an old guard of the party, Ghulam Nabi always stood shoulder to shoulder with Rahul Gandhi in Parliament and on the streets as well. Azad's image at the national level has been incontrovertible.