Navendu Sharma, TNN, Oct 10, 2010
PATNA: In the parliamentary elections held last year, Congress had managed to win only two Lok Sabha seats out of 40 in Bihar. Yet, it had some reason to take solace as the party had gained substantial vote share.
Against 4 and 6 percent vote share in the two Bihar assembly polls held in 2005, the party had reportedly polled 10 percent votes in the Lok Sabha polls in the state. This percentage went up to approximately 15% in the bypolls held for the 18 assembly seats last year. In the process, the party wrested two seats from the JD(U).
Coupled with the party's impressive show in UP in the parliamentary elections, this gave the impression that, led from the front by Rahul Gandhi, the party is in a resurgent mode. By regaining the ground that it had ceded to regional parties over the years, Congress hoped to consolidate its grip on Delhi.
But that was in 2009. The question uppermost in Congressmen's minds is whether the party will continue to improve upon its performance in the approaching Bihar assembly elections? The party changed horses midstream in late July this year. Not only is a new team at the helm in the state unit, even at the national level there are new in charges for the state. Party strategists are said to have effected a change in their strategy. Will this pay dividend to the party?
The party has witnessed furore over the alleged partisan and slipshod distribution of tickets. Likes of Anirudh Prasad alias Sadhu Yadav the saala of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, Ranjeet Ranjan and Lovely Anand, wives of jailed ex-MPs Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav and Anand Mohan, respectively, have not only been fielded but have wielded considerable influence in distribution of tickets. Several turncoats have been rewarded with nomination. "This has not gone down well with party workers and masses as this is negation of Rahul Gandhi's initiatives to rejuvenate the party," rued a party leader.
According to party sources, this shift in strategy began after AICC secretary Sardar Iqbal Singh, the then in charge, Bihar, was appointed governor. First Jagdish Tytler and then Mukul Wasnik were appointed in charge of the state. The then BPCC president, Anil Kumar Sharma, and working president Samir Kumar Singh started feeling ignored. Tainted leaders became important in the party. In September, when Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting in Saharsa, he was flanked by Ranjeet Ranjan and Lovely Anand.
On July 31 this year, Sharma and Singh were removed from their posts. Chaudhary Mehboob Ali Qaiser was appointed the state unit chief. Qaiser is a gentleman, but he is not a mass leader.
Past working president of BPCC, Samir Kumar Singh, a third-generation Congressman who has never flirted with any other party a rarity these days was neither included in the state election committee nor otherwise consulted in ticket distribution. Instead, 10 party tickets were distributed on the recommendation of Ranjeet Ranjan, who joined the party only last year. The party is now said to be trying to carve out a vote bank of Dalits, Muslims and backwards. Muslim votes may also get split. "Not actively wooing the forward castes may turn out to be a mistake for the party," said a party leader who did not wish to be quoted.
PATNA: In the parliamentary elections held last year, Congress had managed to win only two Lok Sabha seats out of 40 in Bihar. Yet, it had some reason to take solace as the party had gained substantial vote share.
Against 4 and 6 percent vote share in the two Bihar assembly polls held in 2005, the party had reportedly polled 10 percent votes in the Lok Sabha polls in the state. This percentage went up to approximately 15% in the bypolls held for the 18 assembly seats last year. In the process, the party wrested two seats from the JD(U).
Coupled with the party's impressive show in UP in the parliamentary elections, this gave the impression that, led from the front by Rahul Gandhi, the party is in a resurgent mode. By regaining the ground that it had ceded to regional parties over the years, Congress hoped to consolidate its grip on Delhi.
But that was in 2009. The question uppermost in Congressmen's minds is whether the party will continue to improve upon its performance in the approaching Bihar assembly elections? The party changed horses midstream in late July this year. Not only is a new team at the helm in the state unit, even at the national level there are new in charges for the state. Party strategists are said to have effected a change in their strategy. Will this pay dividend to the party?
The party has witnessed furore over the alleged partisan and slipshod distribution of tickets. Likes of Anirudh Prasad alias Sadhu Yadav the saala of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, Ranjeet Ranjan and Lovely Anand, wives of jailed ex-MPs Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav and Anand Mohan, respectively, have not only been fielded but have wielded considerable influence in distribution of tickets. Several turncoats have been rewarded with nomination. "This has not gone down well with party workers and masses as this is negation of Rahul Gandhi's initiatives to rejuvenate the party," rued a party leader.
According to party sources, this shift in strategy began after AICC secretary Sardar Iqbal Singh, the then in charge, Bihar, was appointed governor. First Jagdish Tytler and then Mukul Wasnik were appointed in charge of the state. The then BPCC president, Anil Kumar Sharma, and working president Samir Kumar Singh started feeling ignored. Tainted leaders became important in the party. In September, when Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting in Saharsa, he was flanked by Ranjeet Ranjan and Lovely Anand.
On July 31 this year, Sharma and Singh were removed from their posts. Chaudhary Mehboob Ali Qaiser was appointed the state unit chief. Qaiser is a gentleman, but he is not a mass leader.
Past working president of BPCC, Samir Kumar Singh, a third-generation Congressman who has never flirted with any other party a rarity these days was neither included in the state election committee nor otherwise consulted in ticket distribution. Instead, 10 party tickets were distributed on the recommendation of Ranjeet Ranjan, who joined the party only last year. The party is now said to be trying to carve out a vote bank of Dalits, Muslims and backwards. Muslim votes may also get split. "Not actively wooing the forward castes may turn out to be a mistake for the party," said a party leader who did not wish to be quoted.
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