The article “Time for house-cleaning in the Congress” (April 4) has rightly pointed to the need for the Congress president to dissolve the Congress Working Committee and the Central Election Committee, which have indeed become platforms for self-serving leaders to promote their interests. The party should ensure that organisational elections are conducted in a free and fair manner.
As for dynastic politics, it is an experiment that has failed. The over-reliance of the party on dynastic politics to revive its electoral fortunes proves that it refuses to learn from history. The Grand Old Party of India needs to look beyond the charisma of the Nehru-Gandhi family to regain its past glory.
B. Suresh Kumar, Coimbatore
It is too much to expect the Congress to conduct free and fair internal elections, dissolve the Congress Working Committee and so on. The party is groping in the dark, facing crisis after crisis, and defeat after defeat. There is virtually no leadership in the government and the party. The “predictability” about the leadership succession may be an asset at the central level but it is definitely not so at the State level. The Congress is still wary of strong State leaders, and relies on “appointing” them.
India is too much of a pluralistic country to be led by a single leader, which the Congress is unwilling to understand and so reluctant to groom regional leaders. The result is the emergence of strong regional players. These leaders will continue to play a bigger role in national politics and policymaking.
R. Prabu Ananth, Coimbatore
Keywords: Congress party