Political observers say strained BJP-Shiv Sena ties and traders’ disenchantment with note ban and GST give Congress a good shot at reclaiming Mumbai.
Mumbai: India’s financial capital was once a stronghold of the Congress, but its hold on the city has slipped over the past decade, with political commentators largely attributing this to a single reason: Infighting.
And with just a few months left before the 2019 elections, the party’s state unit still seems as fractured as ever — now it’s over the question of who will lead the party as poll season kicks in.
One faction wants Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam’s removal, while the other, comprising the former Shiv Sena member’s supporters, are batting for him to stay. Both the pro- and anti-Nirupam groups met Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress in-charge for Maharashtra, last week.
The anti-Nirupam faction told Kharge that he was not a strong enough face to lead the party into the election. Nirupam’s supporters, meanwhile, complained that those asking for his ouster had disassociated themselves from party activities.
Also Read: In Maharashtra, Congress-NCP target BJP govt for neglecting Marathi
To make matters worse, the group against Nirupam is itself split between those who want former Mumbai South MP Milind Deora to succeed him and those who want a Marathi Mumbai chief.
Although Deora and his father, the late former union minister Murli Deora, were both born in Mumbai, their family roots lie in Rajasthan.
“Milind Deora does not have a connect with the common man,” said a senior Congress leader from the city.
“There is a reason why the Shiv Sena keeps coming to power in Mumbai. Even today, the city has a 30 per cent Marathi population,” the leader added, “But, unfortunately, Marathi leaders don’t get justice in the Mumbai Congress.”
Scoring a self-goal?
Political observers say the infighting will rob the Congress of its prospects in Mumbai. According to them, the party has a fair shot in the city next year in light of the strained BJP-Shiv Sena ties and traders’ disenchantment with demonetisation and the goods and services tax (GST).
“Infighting within a party always weakens it,” said political commentator Pratap Asbe. “There have been very few occasions when infighting and dissent have led to a positive change in a party.”
“This is clearly a struggle for the leadership and political aspirations,” Asbe said.
“The Congress’ position in Mumbai is already quite bad, and this kind of factionalism will only help its political opponents,” he added.
Also Read: Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam adds fake food in Narendra Modi’s meal
A former Congress MLA from Mumbai said, ideally, the party’s city leaders should have started thinking of the elections and possible candidates for its six Lok Sabha seats by now.
“The atmosphere seems to be conducive to the Congress,” the former MLA said.
“The Muslims and other minorities, and votes from the marginalised communities, may once again consolidate with the party,” he added.
“Traders from the Gujarati and Marwari communities, who may be cross with the BJP over issues such as demonetisation and the goods and services tax will not go with the Shiv Sena and will look to the Congress,” he said.
“The back-and-forth between the Shiv Sena and the BJP also seems to have put voters off. The Congress needs to cash in on this opportunity,” he said, adding that the party high command should find a quick solution that can accommodate the ambitions of senior leaders.
Wanted: A ‘smart’ captain
Political commentator Surendra Jondhale said the Congress needed a Mumbai chief who was smart enough to milk the current situation.
“There is discontent, and a number of fence-sitters who went with the BJP in 2014 may opt for the Congress,” Jondhale added.
“The party needs a leader who has three qualities — a good connect with the masses, a network among Mumbai’s corporates, from where poll funding comes, and someone astute in backdoor politicking,” he said.
“This is no time to have a leadership crisis. The party needs some soul-searching.”
‘Not factionalism’
A former Congress MLA said the party’s problem ran deeper than simply a question over Nirupam’s leadership.
“Today, leaders have a problem with Nirupam, tomorrow they may have a problem with the next person appointed,” the former legislator added.
“Ideally, we should just accept the decisions of the high command. If we start challenging them because of our own personal ambitions, there is bound to be friction,” he said.
A Congress legislator from the anti-Nirupam camp, however, said it would be wrong to term their protest “factionalism”.
All senior leaders of the Mumbai Congress, he added, were united in asking for Nirupam’s ouster.
“We are worried about the party and think we need a stronger face to beat the BJP-Shiv Sena,” the MLA added.
“When we were asked for suggestions, we floated Milind Deora’s name for the position,” he said, adding, “Those who went to Kharge for Nirupam retention aren’t senior leaders, but his own supporters.
“Calling this factionalism is just propaganda against us,” he added.
A split brass
Divisions in the party have always stemmed from disagreements between senior leaders.
For example, former Mumbai North-Central MP Priya Dutt is said to have differences with leaders such as Naseem Khan, a Congress MLA from Mumbai, and former Mumbai Congress chief Kripashankar Singh.
Nirupam has also had open feuds on social media with former MP Gurudas Kamat, who has represented Mumbai North-West for multiple terms.
Party workers and corporators close to Nirupam complain that former MPs and senior leaders rarely attend party functions, campaigns and drives, which they say sends the wrong message to people.
The Congress suffered its worst-ever defeat in Mumbai in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when it lost all six parliamentary seats, including those held by strong leaders such as Deora, Dutt and Eknath Gaikwad.
At the assembly elections later that year, the Congress won five of Mumbai’s 36 seats in 2014, down from 17 in 2009.
Even at the local level, the number of Congress corporators in the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has dropped from 71 of 227 members in 2007 to 52 in 2012 and 31 in 2017.
Kripa Shankar Singh is reportedly joining the BJP. The choice should really be between Milind Deora and Priya Dutt. Sanjay Nirupam, like Chhagan Bhujbal, does not represent the refinement of Congress culture.