Congress projects Rahul as its PM candidate

Congress President Rahul Gandhi has presided over the newly reconstituted Congress Working Committee, the party's highest decision-making body, for the first time. CWC has authorized Mr. Gandhi to take a final call on sewing up alliances with the like-minded political parties. Rahul Gandhi has asked party leaders to explore the possibilities of alliances in the coming Lok Sabha elections to throw the BJP-led NDA govt. out of power. He has also asked his party workers to fan out all over the country and raise the issue of corruption in Rafale purchase deal with France by the government. Some senior Congress leaders have targeted to win 150 Lok Sabha seat as they are of the view that there is one to one fight in about 15 states. Congress will have a straight contest with the BJP or any other party in 15 states which account for 169 Lok Sabha seats. In 264 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress will have to be dependent on its alliance partners. So, alliance and coalition with like-minded parties will be seriously undertaken. CWC has also projected Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial face of the party in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Though the Congress party is itself skeptical about Rahul's acceptance by its alliance partners as a leader, it is its own decision. But it is the choice of the political party which matters most in projecting its leader. What will be the final call of the alliance partners on leadership issue is yet to be seen? Though coalition politics has not been successful so far and its experience has also not been good, it is to be seen how Congress succeeds in sewing up an alliance with the like-minded political parties. As far as the position of Congress in the two most politically important states -Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is concerned, it even cannot stand up without the support of the alliance partners. Congress earnestly needs Samajwadi or BSP in Uttar Pradesh and RJD in Bihar. The position of the Congress party has reached to such a passé as moribund because of the sheer negligence of the state leaders to rejuvenate it. In both Bihar and UP, state leaders have been neglecting the organization since the Congress party was thrown out of power in 1990. It has been gasping for breath there since then. The organizational set-up of the party in both the states is in mess. It is the weakness of Congress organization that the SP and the BSP in UP and the RJD in Bihar respectively does not attach much importance to it. The road to power in Delhi passes through UP. So if the Congress party sees its stake at power, it has to cobble up alliance with SP and BSP in UP and RJD in Bihar. Congress party President Rahul Gandhi must pay attention to infuse confidence by overhauling the organizational set-up in UP and Bihar from village to state capital level on a priority basis. The Congress is on death bed in these two states. It requires proper medication in these two states to come back to life again and occupy its pre-imminent position. Time is running out fast. So, if Congress is to be in the reckoning for power, it must strengthen the organizational set-ups first in UP and Bihar.