HUBBALLI: While a clear division is palpable in the State unit of the Congress party over the issue of who should become chief minister, the visit of Rahul Gandhi holds more significance. Playing a balancing act is inevitable for Rahul as the party has to go for a poll within nine months. So, the decision being taken in the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting to be held on Tuesday at Hubballi is to play a significant role in the months ahead.
As per the decision arrived at Udaipur Chintan Baithak, a State PAC was constituted to prepare the party to face the 2023 poll. Since the Hubballi meet is the first meeting of the committee, it is likely to work out modalities on issues that need to be highlighted and expose the failures of the BJP government in the State, as well as the Centre, in addition to poll strategy.
But, off the record, several party leaders admit that the poor organisational structure has cost the party dearly and has been losing election after election across the nation. They are also of opinion that unless the top leadership does not give attention to building organisation, facing the elections in the future will be a horrendous task.
A senior party leader told since AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal would chair the meeting, the focus is likely to be on organisational issues. After the new membership drive, the party workers needed a clear direction to entrench the party's presence at ground level. As the party has a wider voter base, the meeting is likely to lay out a plan of action to exploit the goodwill of the party among the voters.
However, compared to other States the party's organisation is relatively strong and varies district-by-district. For instance, the Dharwad district was a bastion of the party for decades. Once the party started losing, the organisational structure started crumbling. Though groupings among the party were there earlier they weren't visible. Now the division between the camps is so wide that many leaders in the district are not in talking terms, sources in the party say.
The same kind of split is wide open at the State level too. The friction between KPCC president D K Shivakumar and CLP leader Siddaramiah over who will be the next chief minister, if the party comes to power, is no secret. The leader who has recognized themselves with respective camps are openly fending their leaders. Those who have taken a neutral stand are worried over the party's prospect in the coming election and they may raise the issue in the PAC meeting to sort out the issue.
The party sources said as the rumbling in the top leadership was being featured in the media rather than the poor law and order situation, religious killings and other failures of the BJP government, the PAC meeting is likely to discuss this delicate issue. As already Rahul Gandhi has asked both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to fight unitedly, it could be reiterated and their followers could be warned for making out-of-turn comments on the chief minister's post.