Congress silence on Patton and Imna Along is self-goal
Will High Command nod a merciful approach towards BJP ministers ?
New Delhi
Politics is more often infamously famous for following the predictable script. Some years back the hope that the personal integrity of Dr Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister will ensure clean political climate was short lived.
The Congress, however, has refused to learn lessons. While post 2024 polls, the BJP under Narendra Modi is busy trying to trying to resolve its ties with the RSS, the grand old party will be advised to revisit the traditional disconnect with the real polity.
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| Scenic Wokha: Nagaland Patton's home district |
While Rahul Gandhi and the Congress high command are busy finding fault with Modi and the BJP even on unnecessary issues; in Nagaland, Rahul's soldiers and lieutenants have let two BJP ministers go scot-free.
What is this political wisdom? One refrain coming from the corridors of power play in Kohima and Dimapur is that the Nagaland Congress is also part (if not the parcel) of the so-called Opposition-less dispensation.
Two BJP ministers Y Patton and Imna Temjen Along are in the dock but the Team Supongmeren is looking the other way.
In fact, contrary to former Congress president Kewekhape Therie, Supongmeren and his colleagues believe Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio hosted a historical and a much productive consultative meeting on the Naga issue on Sept 12.
Supongmeren Jamir has declined to even put up a minor competition to NPF whose leader K Azo Nienu despite being part of the 60-wisemen and women did some plain talking.
Politics is known for being a combo of dollops of opportunism with political chicanery. That is why people have reasons to whisper about 'new reasons' why NDPP's Lok Sabha candidate Chumben Murry was made a sacrificial goat.
Who knows - while analysts were busy thanking Supong's 'good luck' for his historic win; there was 'good politics' involved in the final outcome of Lok Sabha polls in Nagaland.
The soft-spoken Supongmeren has already flagged off the pending project called the new airport. That has certainly pleased Chingwang Konyak and his colleagues -- most of them including Rio incidentally belonging to the Congress school of politics.
By personally targeting Therie with a 'written statement' and now a selective amnesia around Imna and Patton, the Team Supong are doing their own calculations.
Paradoxically, Patton had come under attack from Congress central leaders and the state unit during Lok Sabha polls.
In a viral video, Patton was heard saying “let the village chairman, GB, and polling agent cast the vote for their entire village. Let the villagers go to the fields and let the village leaders handle it.”
Of course, at a later stage, Patton regretted his remarks.
The likes of K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh may now get some inputs from unofficial channels including from media on what is going on in Nagaland. But this is also a time to reflect and introspect.
Rahul Gandhi may think by becoming the Leader of the Opposition - he has inched closer towards the key post that was once considered 'already reserved quota' for the dynasty.
Some NDPP players may also think likewise and hence the bonhomie continues.
The fraud case and the High Court order on police appointment are enough and powerful political issues to play around. The Team Supong is missing this opportunity in more ways than one.
The issue linked to police department jobs could become a future poll issue too.
And if they are maintaining silence on Imna Along and Patton thinking they should not embarrass incumbent Chief Minister Rio -- good luck to them.
The Team Supong is now in the grip of some kind of self-style intellectualism. They want to adopt a different approach than what was Therie's style.
But politics is also about perception. Hence the journey is important. The means are as important as goals. The sole purpose of the present is to build tomorrow and hence the ruins of yesterday are vital.
In the ultimate, it is anybody's guess whether the Congress high command will approve its state unit's kid-gloves policy towards two beleaguered BJP ministers.
Left to them, in the past both Temjen and Patton did not spare either Rahul Gandhi or the Congress party. Mr Patton had even stated earlier, "I appeal to all Christian brothers and sisters not to cast their valuable votes in favour of Congress. Voting Congress means supporting Hamas".
ends
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| Supongmeren Jamir |
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