Vasan’s revolt questions Nehru-Gandhi brand
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader from Tamil Nadu GK Vasan's revolt has as much to do with the dwindling prospects of the party in the State as it is to do with the failing leadership at the top, primarily that of party vice president Rahul Gandhi. Mr Vasan's complaint that merit has no place in the Congress's scheme of things is a direct reflection on not just how ineffectively Mr Gandhi continues to manage the affairs of his party but also on the coterie around him which keeps him insulated from ground realities. What else can explain the Congress high command's indifference to Mr Vasan's grievances at a time when the party is in the doldrums in Tamil Nadu, following the 2014 lok Sabha election debacleIJ Had Mr Gandhi reached out to him, perhaps Mr Vasan would not have taken the drastic step.
The senior Congress brass, of course, does not see it this way. In its view, Mr Vasan has been an opportunist — taking the loaves of office when the party was in power and scooting when the party is going through a bad phase. This may be a valid point, but it still does not take away from the failure of the top leadership to address the issue and prevent the rift from taking the serious turn it has. The Congress may take solace in maintaining that Mr Vasan's departure will not impact the party in Tamil Nadu, since he has no real following left in the State. That may or may not be so, but what is certain is that the Congress could have done without the revolt at this crucial juncture.
Mr Vasan is not the first Congress person to have spoken his mind; a few others also questioned Mr Gandhi's leadership and even called for his replacement, but they were brutally silenced through summary expulsions. The Congress must realise that Mr Vasan's action can strike a chord — however lightly it may be — in the people of Tamil Nadu. By accusing the All India Congress Committee (and thus Ms Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi) of ignoring the aspirations of the people of the State, Mr Vasan is not just preparing the ground for himself to emerge as a regional leader but also exposing the Congress for its inability to win over the confidence of the voters of the State. Already boxed into a corner by the AIADMK, the Congress now has no mass leader in the State to turn things around.
But Mr Vasan could realise that it may be difficult for him to repeat the success that his father GK Moopanar crafted after he split with the Congress and formed the Tamil Maanila Congress in 1996. Then, Moopanar was making a point; the party later merged with the Congress. All the same, he had roped in prominent Congress leaders to his side, many of whom rose through the ranks in later years to occupy key positions. While Mr Vasan may not manage an encore, even the limited impact that he can make could turn out to be disastrous for a Congress struggling to find its feet in Tamil Nadu.