Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Manikrao Thakre explains the Congress party’s strategy to Sanjay Jog
Maharashtra has been the Congress party’s bastion, but is it losing its supremacy due to complacency or lethargy in the organisation? What is the present state of affairs?
Undoubtedly. Barring two terms, the Congress party has been ruling the state, since its inception in 1960. The party is committed to its ideology and principles and has made regular efforts to bring all sections of the people, class and creed into the party fold. The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are in power since 1999 and the decision on alliance was taken in line with the party’s stand of taking like-minded parties together to keep communal forces such as the Shiv Sena-BJP combine at bay. The party focused on strengthening the organisation from the block to the state level, and its efforts have paid off. In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the party won 20 seats. And, in the Assembly polls, it won a record 82 seats, emerging as the single largest party.
The party is not at all complacent, but is keeping a close vigil to make the organisation strong. Party committees at the Block, village, Taluk, district, region and state level have been filled with new faces. The focus is on youth, women and people. We will continue to consolidate our position, though the party is leading a coalition government in the state. Similar efforts are being made by the NCP. There is no reason for the Congress party to object, as each party is free to grow and spread its presence.
Ironically, both the Congress and the NCP have been issuing warnings of fighting the elections alone. Are relations between the two parties very bad?
It is natural for any party to want to gather enough strength to win the elections on its own. Neither the Congress nor the NCP is an exception to this. The party has launched a massive exercise from the block to the state level, to collect information on the party’s preparedness to face elections in the municipalities, municipal corporation and zila parishad, slated between September and February 2012. So far, the party has not taken any formal decision on going solo in these elections. Our stand is: the Congress is ready to contest these polls in an alliance with the NCP. However, if the NCP takes a different decision, the party is free to do so and the same principle will be applied for the Congress. Several options are being considered, including continuing alliance between the Congress and the NCP, allowing the local party unit to decide on a solo fight after considering local factors, contesting polls under a non-political banner. Party members are giving varied views.
Which is the party’s number one political rival — the NCP or the saffron Shiv Sena-BJP alliance? I am referring to the recent statements made by the party leaders.
The NCP has been the Congress’s ally since 1999 and the Congress-NCP alliance together is taking on the Shiv Sena-BJP combine. Statements by some party leaders do not modify the party’s stand.
However, the state government’s decision to supersede a jumbo board of directors of Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank brought to the fore the widening gap between the Congress and the NCP. In fact, the NCP alleged it was a ploy hatched in New Delhi to malign them.
The Congress party has already clarified its stand in this regard. There is no politics involved, as the decision has been taken purely on the Reserve Bank of India’s advice.
The Congress party’s image has taken a serious beating after several scams, including the Adarsh housing society involving chief ministers, and corruption cases have surfaced. How is the party looking at all these developments?
Let me make one thing clear: the Congress party has never shielded corruption and malpractices. Let the law take its own course. The party high command did not wait for the completion of due legal process, but asked the party Chief Minister Ashok Chavan to step down in the wake of revelations in the Adarsh case. The party has reiterated its commitment to fighting corruption head on and party president Sonia Gandhi in her speech at the recent Congress plenary released a five-point anti- corruption programme. The campaign launched by the Opposition is politically motivated and the party is prepared to face it. The Congress party has survived several storms and faced much stronger challenges in the past. I am confident the party will come out stronger.
It seems the party is seriously worried over Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Ramdas Athavale joining hands with the saffron alliance.
There is no reason for the party to worry. It was Athavale’s individual decision to join the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance. The Congress had left the Shirdi parliamentary seat for Athavale during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. However, Athavale did not make it. The party had wanted Athavale to win the poll and it had extended its full support. The Congress party enjoys support from all sections and it will continue to increase its presence. This was quite evident during the parliamentary and Assembly elections. The party is keen on bridging the gap between itself and the aam aadmi. The jansevaks trained at the recent two-day meet are meant to inform the people about the various schemes as well as act as monitors to ensure these schemes are implemented at the grassroot level.
If the party is not bothered about Athavale, why is it observing this year as the Social Equality Year?
The party intends to bring socially backward classes together for their progress, as it follows the legacy of legendary leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and the teachings of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj and Dr Ambedkar. Various cultural programmes such as discussions, awards, processions and competitions for students would be organised by the party as part of the celebrations.
Is the party’s decision also to compete with the NCP, which commemorated its foundation day on June 10 as Social Justice Day?
Every party is free to take its decisions. There is no question of competition.
