The exit of senior leader Ashwani Kumar from the Congress has brought to the fore yet again the problems plaguing the party, providing an opportunity to the dissenting 'Group of 23' to voice their views. There is also speculation on how the development will impact the party in the poll season, especially in Kumar's home state of Punjab.
Kumar's resignation may not have come as a shocker since he was sidelined in the party's scheme of things for some time. Even during his better times in the party, he was not considered a leader with a mass base or sphere of public influence.
However, the former Union minister's decision to quit the Congress does add to the perception of the party being in drift, coming as it does amidst a string of exits from the party. It could be damaging for the party, especially the leadership, considering Kumar's proximity to former prime minister Manmohan Singh and the widespread view that he was a Gandhi loyalist.
Kumar had kept his distance from the G-23, but as he quit the party, he raised issues similar to those raised by the dissenting group, especially about its leadership woes and predicting a grim future for the party if the current way of functioning continues. It was only apt that G-23 leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad and Manish Tewari reacted to the development and reiterated the issues that they have been raising about the party's functioning.
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Critics of Kumar say that his decision to quit was related to his son's political aspirations. They point out that he had sought a ticket for his son, Ashish Kumar, from the Sujanpur constituency in the Punjab assembly elections, but the request was not entertained.
There is, however, speculation on whether the exit of Kumar, a Hindu leader, could have an impact on the party's support amongst the community. Kumar's departure from the party comes in the backdrop of the very public utterances of discontentment by former state unit chief Sunil Jakhar, who had lost out to Charanjit Singh Channi in the race for the chief minister's post after the removal of Capt Amarinder Singh from the helm.
The focus is again on the leadership of the Gandhis and how important it is for them that the Congress wins at least two states in the ongoing assembly polls. In the event of the party not doing well in the state elections, the voices of discontentment could get louder and the section within the party calling for changes in the party's functioning and in the manner in which the leadership is dealing with issues would gain in strength.