In the aftermath of Antony’s report on the causes of Congress debacle in assembly elections in UP, Punjab and Goa, Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi has put her finger on factionalism as a serious cause of party’s disappointing performance. She has called for discipline and dedication on the part of party men. Factionalism is nothing new to Congress or for that matter to any other mainstream political party in this country. Emergence of Congress (I) was in itself the sequel to factionalism in Congress. As such it cannot be the real reason for poor performance of the party in recent assembly elections. Nevertheless discipline and cohesion are the pillars on which the strong structure of a political party rests. Sonia Gandhi has to plug all loopholes that have been underscored by Antony Report. But at the same time, evidently, she will have to think deeper and act more earnestly to infuse new blood and vitality into the veins of Congress party. Hindsight shows that in recent years Congress has distanced from many fundamental issues facing the country and has got mired in competitive politics and more sadly in BJP bashing exercise. Criticism of a political opponent is welcome and is considered a healthy sign of democracy, but this cannot be done at the cost of serious and persisting national issues. Congress needs to be true to its great and historical tradition. It is right that party men should disseminate among broad masses the achievements it has made in recent days. That should be left to the judgment of ordinary people who will be required to play the final dice in 2014 parliamentary elections.
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