New Delhi: A shaken Congress is aiming for a complete overhaul after its severe mauling in the recently concluded Assembly elections and is in an urgent need of a makeover ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections as a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party under Narendra Modi's leadership appears to be leading. After environment and forest minister Jayanthi Natarajan resigned from the Cabinet, more ministers are expected to do so in order to focus on the party work.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi while addressing FICCI on Saturday evening talked about the party's loss in the Assembly elections. "We did not really hit a six in the last elections. We didn't do as well as we expected. The recently held elections have made their point. We need to have the foresight and humility to accept the messages being expressed to us without resorting to the usual props of statistical data and excuse-making."
The first step was taken on Saturday with the resignation of Jayanthi Natarajan from the government and her induction for party work. More ministers are likely to follow to give shape to Rahul's gameplan for battle for 2014.
Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh is expected to work on strategy. Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is likely to resign followed by other Union Ministers like Sachin Pilot, Jitin Prasada, Jyotiraditya Scindia. Younger state chiefs are also to be appointed. However, senior Cabinet ministers are unlikely to be touched.
But these changes could have come a bit late. Price rise, slow reforms, alienated allies, a combative BJP - all of this could make Rahul's task tough ahead of polls.
But the Congress in its attempt at damage control is trying to project Rahul as a crusader of clean politics. With Right to Information Act, Lokpal Bill, dumping of the ordinance on convicted legislators, fight for gay rights and more anti-corruption laws, both Rahul and Congress hope that this should put them back in the reckoning for 2014 polls.
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