· Wave of Anger Among Veteran Workers
Mumbai: In the power struggle within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over nominations for the Legislative Council elections, the Congress party has ultimately been forced to retreat once again, completing a humiliating ‘hat-trick’ for the party. This streak of retreats, which began with Sharad Pawar’s Rajya Sabha seat and has now reached the Legislative Council, has triggered a major explosion of internal resentment within the party. As the party had to give up its rightful claim for the third consecutive time, an atmosphere of despair prevails among veteran and loyal workers, and the state leadership’s submissive policy is now drawing criticism.
A senior Congress leader, on the condition of anonymity, expressed intense displeasure over this entire matter. The leader stated that Congress is consistently being given secondary treatment within the MVA. Congress made a significant sacrifice for Sharad Pawar’s Rajya Sabha seat. Following that, a compromise was accepted during Sunetra Pawar’s time, and now, a retreat had to be made once again regarding the Legislative Council seat for Ambadas Danve. This senior leader expressed that forcing the party into such an embarrassing position three times in a row is not just a strategy but is playing with the party’s very existence.
Ally parties are currently attempting to pacify this resentment by promising that Congress will receive the next Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council seats. However, the leader questioned how well these promises would be kept once political equations change. He expressed fear that these retreats are sending the wrong message to grassroots workers and risk weakening their position against allies in all upcoming elections.
Because Congress yields to the pressure of its allies every time, loyalists are feeling stifled. In playing the role of the ‘elder brother’ every time, Congress has reached a point where it is emptying its own house. This third retreat has created an image of a Congress leadership that is helpless against Sharad Pawar’s shrewd strategy and Thackeray’s aggression. The morale of the workers has collapsed, and all eyes are now on whether the High Command in Delhi will take a firm stand or leave the local leaders to their own devices once again.
