Regional satraps rise in revolt against Cong leadership

In Assam, top Congress leader Himanta Biswa Sarma quit the cabinet of chief minister Tarun Gogoi, demanding a change in leadership in the state. In Maharashtra, powerful Congress veteran and senior minister, Narayan Rane resigned as well. He too was unhappy with the state leadership - chief minister Prithviraj Chauhan.

Assam and Maharashtra are two of the eleven states where the party still retains power. In both states the Congress performed poorly in the general elections, leaving the leadership vulnerable to revolt.

In Guwahati, Sarma said he had met the governor and conveyed to him that many of the Congress’ 78 legislators in the state are not willing to ‘mentally, physically and politically’ work under Gogoi. The minister put his party on notice - he has quit as minister, but remains in the Congress - days after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had offered his support to Gogoi.

Narayan Rane did not disclose why he was resigning as Maharashtra’s industries minister, but he is said to be upset at not being projected as the Congress’ leader in the state for the assembly elections due later this year. Rane has long claimed that the Congress promised him the post of chief minister when he joined the party after quitting the Shiv Sena in 2005. He recently warned that the assembly elections results would not be different from those of the general elections under the present leadership. The Congress and partner NCP had won 6 of the state’s 48 seats; the BJP and Shiv Sena won 42. In Assam, the Congress could win only three of 14 Lok Sabha seats.  

Senior Congress leader Ambika Soni admitted that the party’s poor showing in the general elections had encouraged rebels to ‘raise their heads.’ She said: ‘There do come times in the history of political parties...when forces raise their heads to voice their demands. Challenge before leadership is to take the right decision.’

Meanwhile the Congress on Monday dismissed suggestions that this dissidence was against Rahul Gandhi. ‘It is not a rebellion against Rahul at all. Whole issue is some people would not be happy with the chief minister (Gogoi). But majority are with the chief minister,’ Congress leader Kamal Nath told reporters outside Parliament House.