Congress reshaping, but house not in order yet

JAIPUR: The Congress is reshaping itself to tackle the ruling BJP whose election winning streak in the state just seems unstoppable. The party dissolved its Seva Dal unit in the state on Monday, retaining only the frontal organisation’s chief Suresh Chaudhary. Party sources say the new executive of Seva Dal would be announced before the month end.
A day earlier, PCC chief Sachin Pilot allotted work to the party’s state executive that was reconstituted last month.The changes were long awaited—Pilot had declared to replace inactive executive members in April—but could be introduced only after the defeat of municipal elections. Party insiders believe state Congress is still ridden with internal strife as its top leaders have not been able to set aside their personal agendas.
The first signs of supremacy tussles continuing in the party were visible when former chief minister Ashok Gehlot remarked that the new PCC executive should be expanded to include those who have been left out. Gehlot even offered a reason and said that for a party in the opposition, organisational posts were a means to remain connected with the people. Pilot countered the demand saying Gehlot should tell names of party men who have been left out.
Yet another leader, former Union minister C P Joshi, appears to be distancing self from the party activities in the state. He has been hardly visible even during the elections. Party men believe Joshi has been unable to get his supporters inducted in the new PCC executive in the same proportion as Gehlot and Pilot have been.
Sources said the jumbo PCC executive too has been a result of Gehlot and Pilot pulling their strings in the AICC. “Gehlot has been able to get his supporters added to the ‘original’ list of executive members that was submitted to the AICC top leadership,” a Congress veteran said.
The list of PCC executive in-charges for various districts released on Sunday too has been laden with Gehlot supporters getting the key positions. The charge of PCC has been given to Rajiv Arora, Mahir Azad and Pawan Godara, among others, who are well-known Gehlot loyalists.