The final announcement of the induction of 14 new District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents will have to wait till a clearer picture emerges about the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as president of the All-India Congress Committee.
There is considerable speculation in the Congress party that Mr. Gandhi would assume formal charge as AICC president at the Congress Working Committee meeting on Monday in Delhi. Mr. Gandhi has been already calling the shots and it is only a matter of time before he assumes the mantle of party boss.
The 21 members of the Political Affairs Committee have individually submitted their list of names to be inducted as DCC presidents. Over and above this, the two major factions led by former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala have also given their list, which according to sources, reflect a near unanimity in choice that would help them retain their factional grip on the affairs of the party.
If Mr. Gandhi does assume charge as party president, there is all possibility that the revamp process would undergo a drastic change. Several relatively young leaders might get a break since Mr. Gandhi would work towards establishing a leadership line that is loyal to him.
Factionalism dawns on him
After initially frowning at factional politics, Mr. Gandhi appears to have accepted the reality of factionalism in the Congress party in the State. A section in the Congress, therefore, believe that he might indeed maintain the factional equations, but would ensure that the new DCC presidents would owe their positions to him rather than their factional leaders.
Mr. Sudheeran would also find himself in terra firma, since party high command has already made it known that it did not want to disturb him. If Mr. Gandhi continues to be reticent in becoming party boss, then the factions might end up with a vice-like grip on party affairs. The Political Affairs Committee’s role, conceived differently this time as it sought to end the three-way tussle between the leadership troika of Oommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala and V.M. Sudheeran, it appears, will become irrelevant.
