The search for rules and values in the chaos of electoral politics

Ina1960 letter to President Rajendra Prasad, Congress leader Dwarka Prasad Mishra criticized the inclusion of dubious characters in politics.

- ALOK MEHTA

In the elections of Jharkhand and Maharashtra, questions are being raised regarding Congress's top leader Rahul Gandhi's campaigning for his controversial allies. People are asking why Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders don't seem hesitant about supporting parties in Jharkhand that have a leader facing life imprisonment for murder accusations, or in Maharashtra, those linked to leaders accused of involvement in horrific riots, bomb blasts, and alleged ties to the infamous criminal and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim. There are numerous such incidents and facts that have surfaced over the years within the Congress party.

An excerpt penned by Pandit Dwarka Prasad Mishra, regarded as a "Chanakya" of Congress, on March 28, 1960, read, "People with questionable character are getting a place in politics. The President of the State Congress is a gentleman who, during 1942, was collecting donations for the War Fund and has been convicted for several crimes. Recently, Congress elected a gentleman to the Rajya Sabha who was a police informer in 1942, with his name documented in their files. It's futile to say anything about governance." It was, to the President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

This piece of evidence in Indian archives proves there should be no surprise or concern regarding Congress's current state or direction.

Now that the legislative assembly elections are coming, Congress' regional leaders, candidates, and workers face the biggest dilemma, should they wear saffron for Uddhav-Aditya Thackeray, or adopt green for Sharad-Supriya Pawar?