Rahul Gandhi's top aide resigns from INC leaving bitter words
In yet another setback for the Indian National Congress (INC), one of Rahul Gandhi's top aides quit the party. The person in question i.e. Ashish Kulkarni is a veteran in Maharashtra politics and was an election manager for Rahul Gandhi. Kulkarni's parting message was a harsh one in which the veteran politician accused the INC of being nepotistic and feudal.
INC in complete disarray due to mismanagement
"There has been a total mismanagement of the party affairs which have led to many political failures and administrative losses, also resulting in many legal issues...The party is in disarray in almost all states with rampant factionalism," wrote Kulkarni in his resignation letter.
Ashish Kulkarni's political career
Having been active in Maharashtra politics for a considerable time, Ashish Kulkarni had become a key strategist in election planning and management. As general secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, he had been closely associated with erstwhile Maharashtra CMs like Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ashok Chavan. In 2009, he was drafted by the INC's central leadership to be part of the Congress Coordination Centre.
Kulkarni's reasons for leaving the INC
Kulkarni's resignation letter to Rahul Gandhi blamed the INC for being lackadaisical in "creating a depth of management". He furthermore accused the INC of moving away from its roots and its centrist ideology towards a far-left one. Kulkarni criticized the INC for culturally supporting "Kashmiri separatists, JNU protesters", and said the party ran the risk of being labelled "Anti-Hindu" like TMC, CPI, CPM, etc.
INC is a party of the privileged and the powerful
"Even today, only the privileged with political lineage and/or money power are the ones being selected...who won't allow fresh blood and fresh ideas to disturb their secure position in the citadels of power and influence," added Kulkarni, indicating the INC's distance from grass root reality.
The INC can only blame itself for its stagnation
Kulkarni's resignation letter criticized the INC on several grounds. Kulkarni said that the INC's recent stagnation was resultant of a lack of detailed discussion on key areas like the economy, development, and foreign policy. He also pointed out that the skewed power structure in the party prevented senior leaders from working in its interest.
