Congress caught in inner contradictions and factiolism

FROM OUR Special Correspondent

Silchar, April 28: Of late, it appears all is not well within the Congress of Cachar and Hailakandi. It is in the cobweb of inner contradictions and internecine factiolism. The statements of leaders of both the districts reflect on the ill-health of the 132 years old organization. Never in the past such a sad picture of the party has come to the public glare in this remote part of the country. It needs no repetition that Barak Valley y Assam has been the strongest citadel of Congress. Without mincing any words, it is now on decline. Many reasons might be there, but in the context of this valley, the decline started from the 90’s with the strong challenge thrown by the BJP.

 The local media is now making headlines about the inner conflicts and contradictory statements by the leaders of the Congress. As usual Gautom Roy, former minister and a flamboyant persolity, is at the centre of controversy primarily for coming out openly in praise of the frontline leaders of the saffron party like Parimal Suklabaidya, PWD Minister, and Dilip Kumar Paul, Deputy Speaker, describing them as ‘man of actions’. He obliquely made a reference to Sushmita Dev, MP, and the party as a whole for not working with the pace and dymism as expected.

 Gautom Roy with his record winning win in assembly elections ever since he entered into the fray in 1983 faced debacle in the last polls of 2016. In fact, Congress has suffered the worst ever drubbing since the first general elections of 1952. In one of his most significant observations in public, the charismatic leader admitted it is due to the appeasement policy of Congress hierarchy that the party has to lose the support of Hindus and BJP has taken advantage of it.

 Katlicherra, the home constituency of Gautom Roy, has now AIUDF MLA Suzam Uddin Laskar, once his right hand, who to the surprise of political alysts, is all praise for BJP for its policy of ‘transparency and accountability’ and at the same time often hitting out at his mentor for not doing enough for the development of the most backward constituency. The three constituencies of Hailakandi district, Hailakandi, Katlicherra and Algapur, once domited by Congress is now the fortress of AIUDF. The district level Congress leaders and workers are now in disarray with their acknowledged leader Gautom Roy now cooling his heels in retrospection.

Silchar District Congress Committee is equally in the grip of factiol feud and friction. There runs resentment and disenchantment at the recent decision of the Congress High Command Sonia Gandhi to revamp the district committees in Assam. In this exercise, the most respected and accepted leader, Karnendu Bhattacharjee, a septuagerian and two time MP and one time MLA, has been replaced by Pradip Kumar Dey, a leader from the Lakhipur subdivision, as the president of the Silchar District Congress Committee. An inside source says the installation of Dey is the handiwork of Sushmita Dev and Rajdeep Goala, MLA Lakhipur.

 A highly dissatisfied Karnendu Bhattacharjee finds no ground for his replacement and has now decided to seek justice from the Congress High Command at New Delhi. He is yet to decide the date of his meet. This development has brought out a statement from Bhattacharjee in the context of the suspension of 7 party leaders on the pretext of their anti-party activities by him. He told the media-meet that he had to suspend them under pressure of both Dev and Goala. Before relinquishing his post, Bhattacharjee has withdrawn suspension order on them.

 According to observers, this will only widen factiolism within the party and further weaken the organization. The vocal leaders of the party like Sajal Acharjee, former Silchar town committee president, has admitted the rift and dissension among the leaders and workers. Questions are being raised about the justifiability of making Pradip Kumar Dey, not so familiar face in the public as district president. When the time is for the leaders to sit together and decide the future strategy to regain lost ground in Barak Valley as a whole, lobbing and jockeying are now almost open. Quite relevant to mention that of the 15 assembly seats, Congress could hold its sway in 3 constituencies of Lakhipur, North Karimganj and Badarpur. The Congress leadership, in other words, has to go for introspection to set its house in order.