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CONGRESS Rule by Committee Sonia sets up another high-powered to refurbish the party. But as in the past, it is the implementation of its suggestions that remains the moot question. By Javed M Ansari When in doubt set up a committee. That seems to be the Congress' mantra. A month after the party's worst-ever poll debacle, Congress President Sonia Gandhi continues to put greater faith in the various committees she has set up rather than take the initiative to forge ahead. Under pressure to bring about a distinct change in the functioning, strategy and personnel manning top posts in the party, she has once again turned to these panels to do the needful. And as if the existing committees were not enough, she has set up another seven-member Introspection Committee headed by A.K. Antony and a strategy team each for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Orissa, the four states where elections are likely to be held in the near future. The brief: draw up a winning strategy for the Congress. As far as Sonia is concerned, there is a logic behind the formation of the various committees, 15 to be precise. Having been at the helm for over a year, she is aware of the extent of rot within the party and the magnitude of the task at hand. Her problem, however, lies in how she has gone about it. Though empowered by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to restructure the party as she wills, she knows it's not a simple task. A year ago, having led the party to victory in assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan, Sonia could have gone in for large-scale restructuring, but in the winter of 1999 after having led the party to its worst poll performance she is hamstrung. Should she decide to go in for a massive restructuring, she runs the risk of ruffling well-entrenched feathers which could in turn foment greater trouble for her. By constituting and entrusting the Introspection Committee and the strategy teams with the task of revitalising the party, Sonia has put the onus of making crucial decisions on them and has thus insulated herself from any heartburn that may result from it. Used to a system where the decision-making prerogative lies with the high command, Sonia's style of functioning is being defended by her advisers. "She is changing the decision-making process by institutionalising it and making the party responsible for the decisions," says Jairam Ramesh, secretary of the party's economic affairs department. However, a careful perusal of the composition of the committees and the fate that their recommendations have met with clearly shows that even these exercises may end up as nothing more than window-dressing to keep potential dissenters busy. If that happens, it could be because of the bitter infighting in several state units in the party. Some of it was on display during the interactions of the high powered Introspection Committee during recent tours across the country. Since its inception last month the committee has been to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, all states where Congressmen are fond of fighting each other rather than their common opponent. In Lucknow, supporters of PCC chief Salman Khursheed and Jitendra Prasada were more intent on laying the blame at each others door rather than engage in a meaningful discussion. On several occasions during its deliberations, Antony had to rein in members deposing before the committee from going for each other's jugular. "We are not here to hang anybody. The idea is to locate and plug the loopholes," said an exasperated committee member. At the AICC headquarters a harassed Ambika Soni, in charge of the strategy team for Haryana, had to call in the police to prevent supporters of state party chief Bhupinder Singh Hooda and former chief minister Bhajan Lal from coming to blows. Things in Madhya Pradesh were no different. Led by Subhash Yadav, dissidents have accused Chief Minister Digvijay Singh of deliberately alienating traditional support groups like the farmers. The track record of the panels notwithstanding, Congressmen are banking on the Introspection Committee to put the party back on track. Sonia too has indicated she is waiting for its report. "Changes will take place both in strategy and in personnel once it is in," she said. The moot question is whether the changes will be effected or whether the report will join others in the store of the party office on 24 Akbar Road. THE
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