Has Congress any basis for allocation of ticket/s?
What is going on in the Congress camp? Is Churchill Alemao Congress? After Churchill almost parted ways with the party, announcing that he would quit the party, if he was accused of being responsible for the party’s debacle at the last Assembly elections, the party bosses hit panic buttons and rushed to his house in an effort to placate him.
For the Congress, Churchill is indispensable. At least, it seems so. Else, what kind of rapprochement were the party leaders looking for with Alemao, especially after the Alemao clan was routed at the hustings? The leaders did not deem it fit to initiate action for his utterances: First, Alemao hinted that he was open to contesting the Cortalim by-poll on UGDP ticket, later announced that he would even vie as an Independent. By Thursday, Churchill had said that his supporters want him to contest on the Congress banner.
Alemao may have been unjustifiably accused of being responsible for the party’s debacle. It is ironic to think that one single person can be held responsible for a party’s defeat. Rather, the role of some senior Congress leaders in the defeat ought to be probed.
There is little doubt however that the Congress is moving from bad to worse. People are left wondering whether the party bosses who arrive here with policy decisions deserve any respect, because, repeatedly it has been noticed that whenever tickets are to be allocated, there are no set guidelines in allotment of tickets.
What is the difference between the Congress and UGDP in the system of ticket allocation?
It is strange that even at the level of Sonia Gandhi, the Congress party has fallen into a situation of total disarray. The classic example is the decision over the debacle following the defeat of the party in UP and Goa. The committee appointed to identify the cause of the defeat could not put the finger on the pulse of the problem in these states, simply because the study they carried out was without any basis.
One example of gross mismanagement in ticket allocation is the denial of ticket to Vijay Sardessai, even after the High Command was alerted by some well wishers that he was the best bet for Fatorda. Ignoring all reasoning, the party allocated the ticket to an individual in the name of minority representation, and the candidate lost his deposit. Evidently, the party is unable to feel the pulse of the people.
One is left wondering whether there is really any study made leading to the basis of allocation of tickets, because the system is plagued by serious flaws. It smacks of arbitrariness and proximity of aspirants to the decision makers. Even genuine party workers at grass root level go for a toss in their quest for a ticket because it is influence – not necessarily sycophancy – which is the clinching factor.
There is an imperative need for experts to go onto the anomaly and to establish grounds and basis for allotment of tickets. Else, commission agents who use such opportunities to fulfill their personal agenda may have a field day in the name of party politics.
It is even queer that decision makers who allocate tickets do not feel ashamed of defeats, coming on top of their decisions. Worse still, the High Command has been ineffective to ensure that those in charge of the State in question are made accountable for defeats. There is a complete lackadaisical attitude of `anything goes’ within the party.
People are now watching the Congress drama unfold. Certainly, this is nothing new for the Congress as well as the people. Over the past elections, the so-called Goa Desk- in-charge have ceremoniously visited the state and conducted the same exercise, playing the same game. The repeated encore of a questionable system of allocation of ticket/s is attracting ridicule, and the people are losing respect for the Indian National Congress.
