Congress faces leadership crises across country

With cadres across various states up in arms against the local leadership, demanding an immediate change of guard, the Congress seems to be plagued by crises across the country.

With cadres across various states up in arms against the local leadership, demanding an immediate change of guard, the Congress seems to be plagued by crises across the country.

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In Andhra Pradesh, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is at loggerheads with state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana.

The feud between the two leaders intensified after the party was recently routed in the by-elections and the anti-corruption bureau raided liquor shops allegedly owned and operated by Satyanarayana's relatives. Both of them were called to Delhi on Wednesday to explain their positions.

After the party’s shocking defeat in the recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa, and the shoddy performance in Uttarakhand, calls for removal of state presidents have intensified there.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh’s detractors in the party have now openly come out against him. A war of words has ensued between Singh and senior leaders Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Partap Singh Bajwa and Jagmeet Singh Brar.

In Uttar Pradesh, the party started looking for a fresh face after Rita Bahuguna Joshi tendered her resignation. Union minister Harish Rawat has recommended his loyalist, Pradeep Tamta, for the top post in Uttarakhand — in the place of Yashpal Arya.

Congress leaders from Bihar have descended on the party headquarters to lobby for the state president’s post. After the dismal electoral show in Bihar, Mahboob Ali Kaiser offered to resign, but was asked to continue till a replacement was found.

The party is also facing leadership issues in the sensitive border states of Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.

In Maharashtra, voices of dissent have started emerging against chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and state president Manikrao Thakre.