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The Congress Working Committee assembly paid tribute two veterans final week, Tarun Gogoi and Ahmed Patel, each who succumbed to Covid-19-related issues. But it is the tribute paid to Ahmed Patel that stands out, and which has a telling significance on the celebration’s future politics.
The CWC stated, “Shri Patel’s single contribution was his unique capacity to reconcile competing aspirations and forge unity and comradeship among the leaders and members of the party. Ahmed bhai had no personal ambition. The interest of the Congress was his only interest.”
And that is what may be the start of the change within the celebration’s future politics. The celebration instantly appointed former minister Pawan Kumar Bansal because the treasurer of the AICC, a publish additionally held by Ahmed Patel.
Choice could appear shocking however then the job of a treasurer can also be to make sure that celebration funds are saved floating and coming. Not many leaders can muster the braveness to name up Congress chief ministers and ask them to contribute. Not many also can resolve how a lot ought to be spent and the place.
Pawan Bansal is low profile however clearly enjoys the belief of the Gandhis on cash issues. But would the highly effective chief ministers be as able to shell out funds as they did with Patel, will be Bansal’s greatest problem.
But the demise of Ahmed Patel could have extra vital ramifications throughout the celebration. Many are talking in regards to the seek for a alternative for Ahmed Patel. The query is ‘will Rahul’s Congress need one’? It’s an open incontrovertible fact that the a lot of the tug-of-war throughout the Congress in the previous few years was additionally a noora kushti between the outdated veterans who had the defend of Ahmed Patel on one aspect and the youthful members of ‘Team Rahul’ who felt the seniors would by no means allow them to develop or assert themselves.
Rajasthan being a current instance, Ashok Gehlot had the help of Ahmed Patel, and his battle in opposition to Sachin Pilot was additionally seen the battle between the outdated and the younger. It’s additionally a incontrovertible fact that not many in ‘Team Rahul’ had been comfy or had the join with Patel.
Rahul Gandhi’s wrestle throughout the Congress was additionally a wrestle he had with Ahmed Patel and that relations between them had been at occasions frosty was a well-known reality. Ahmed Patel by no means loved the identical camaraderie with Rahul Gandhi as he did with his mom Sonia, and it often confirmed up.
At the CWC assembly after the Lok Sabha outcomes of 2014, Gandhi brazenly accused the seniors of not siding with his slogan of “chowkidar chor hai”. Gandhi requested what number of of you possibly can put up your hand and say you had been with me? Not many palms went up, some seniors folded their arms across the chest. Some who got here out stated we weren’t even requested earlier than this slogan was coined.
Some younger ones who had been near Rahul Gandhi stated, “When your own seniors don’t support you, how do you expect the slogan to capture the mind of the voters? We feel let down by the seniors.” And inevitable it was, Ahmed bhai was seen as because the chief of the pack. Increasingly, selections started to be taken with out conserving Patel within the loop.
He would usually be the final to know and his home grew to become the assembly place of many disgruntled leaders. But every time Ahmed Patel rose above the event to point out that the celebration mattered extra and never his private equations. This was evident with the CWC being known as over the letter of ‘the group of 23’. As lengthy because the disaster hit the Congress, or when authorities formation grew to become a essential situation as in Maharashtra and Rajasthan, Ahmed Patel could not be utterly changed. Sonia Gandhi relied on him, and due to this fact, the youngsters too needed to settle for that Ahmed bhai‘s knowledge irreplaceable.
Despite this, the hole between Rahul Gandhi and Ahmed Patel more and more grew to become too extensive to bridge. So publish Patel what may occur? There is unlikely to be one Ahmed Patel if Rahul Gandhi takes over because the president.
A workforce will be aiding him and helping him. But extra importantly, the hassle of the younger ‘Team Rahul’ to ease out the outdated guard led by Ahmed Patel will be a job, which is more likely to be fulfilled. The seniors are clearly a fearful lot and with no Ahmed bhai round, their time is clearly up. And it is no coincidence that a lot of the letter writers are veterans and are unlikely to be seen kindly by Rahul’s Congress.
The CWC tribute to Ahmed Patel hailing him as having no private ambition is precisely the message to the remainder of the Congress — that whereas Ahmed Patel could have been distanced and never loved the identical rapport with ‘Team Rahul’, this high quality of him is what is going to be anticipated of those that take cost now. In dying lastly, Ahmed Patel has settled the problem of the facility wrestle within the Congress. The ‘Ahmed Patel period’ is over. Finally, the era hole has been bridged and it is time the youthful ones to take cost.
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