Weeks ahead of the general elections, Milind Deora, two-time Congress MP from South Mumbai, has red-flagged the direction and the functioning style of the party’s city unit led by Sanjay Nirupam. In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Deora said the Congress’s city unit must remain a symbol of its diversity rather than indulge in sectarian politics. After hinting he may even quit as a candidate, Mr. Deora told The Hindu that if Mr. Nirupam’s removal could fix the Congress’s problems in the city it was born in, then so be it. Edited excerpts:
What are the issues within Mumbai Congress that bother you?
I don’t want to comment on what is happening within the party publicly, but would like to discuss it within the party. Because if me as Milind Deora can’t discuss it internally, how can a common party worker do it? Are there some grievances? Yes, there are. I will discuss those internally.
Are you threatening to withdraw from the Lok Sabha elections?
My family has been fighting elections since 1968. My father fought a corporation election in 1968 and since then, he contested for the MLA seat, MP seat. Irrespective of results, our work continued. People kept on coming and we continue to be involved in various activities of the constituency. So the work and affection continues. I am grateful for the fact that my party has chosen me as an unanimous candidate and people have been calling me to tell that they feel I am the right candidate. It is not a threat of anything, but this is the time when Rahul Gandhi is fighting hard, working hard to expose the government, and you feel, why can’t we in Mumbai do the same thing?
What are the issues over which Congress leaders are not bonding well?
There are political differences which will be ironed out at political level. There are severe differences in any organisation on how things should be done. We can’t deny that there are problems in the party’s Mumbai unit. Congress’s politics in Mumbai is not about just one community. The Shiv Sena, MNS or BJP work on those lines. That isn’t Congress and it won’t survive with such type of politics.
It wasn’t that Murli Deora or Gurudas Kamat were tall leaders of their communities. But they had strong leaders from each and every community with them, be it Marathis or Muslims or Dalits or north Indians or any others. There were political differences but they did not antagonise anyone. That was the message of the Mumbai Congress. It was not an identity-driven politics. That has changed and it has suddenly become about identity. This is upsetting leaders and making them sit at home. For Congress to win elections in Mumbai, it needs a coalition of leaders from each and every community. Irrespective of the election result, you don’t want your party to look torn apart. When you are going out for a job interview, you don’t want your shirt to be ripped apart in five pieces. That’s how I feel right now. It troubles me now that we are not a united set-up.
Is Sanjay Nirupam responsible for changing Mumbai Congress’s style of functioning?
I am not saying that. What I am sensing is Mumbai Congress is moving away from its style of politics. I don’t want to comment on whether it is moving away under his leadership or started before it. I consider Sanjay Nirupam as a friend and I like him at a personal level. He is a warm, friendly, affable man. I wished him on his birthday. It isn’t that we aren’t on talking terms.
Why bring up all these grievances on the eve of elections and not earlier?
You are interested in this interview because I am speaking on the eve of elections. That is for you, not for me. I had conveyed my opinion a month ago to senior party leaders.
Is there any response?
Not yet. I don’t know why. I had conveyed that things aren’t going as expected. I spoke to [Mallikarjun] Khargeji. I didn’t complain about one person. I conveyed that things are torn apart and the party should fix it. I still have faith in leadership that I will get reply.
Do you want to become the Mumbai Congress chief?
That has not been my agenda. Even today, I won’t have any problem if Sanjay Nirupam continues. But we need to find [a] solution for the problem. [A] political party is like a human body where all leaders are vital organs and if it starts working without head or leg or any other organ, it won’t function? Today, it feels that the body isn’t fully geared up to contest. That is not good on the eve of elections. It has to be fixed. And if the solution is to replace him, so be it. We will see how to do it, whom to replace, what to do. But there has to be a response. We can’t bury it under the carpet and say all is good. It will be discussed, that’s my faith.
How do you expect the party to face one of the most crucial elections in 2019 with such infighting?
Every election is crucial. There is certainly a strong mood against this government and people want change. They are looking for alternatives and we have to present our narrative in an effective manner. Alliances will be formed. But today if you look at Mumbai, people don’t even know the names of all six MPs. People don’t know about Gopal Shetty or Arvind Sawant. Where is the voice of Mumbai MPs on local issues in Parliament? None of the MPs seem concerned about the Coastal Road, the city’s new development plan or development of port trust land. What kind of quality of MPs have we elected? Just because of the Modi wave, the quality of MPs is atrocious.
What is the guarantee that quality of Congress candidates will be better?
I can’t answer about all candidates… Sanjay Nirupam would answer that. I hope we do. Otherwise, we may not be different from the current lot of MPs. There are good people in the fray and I am sure the party will pick the right people for the job.
At a time when Congress is accused of playing the soft-Hindutva card, what is it that you are offering to Indian voters that BJP cannot?
Congress offers a tolerant society, where your culture, values, ethos, faith are protected. It is wrong to say that we are playing the soft-Hindutva card, just because Rahul Gandhi goes to a temple. As a party, we respect all and they (BJP) don’t.
What has the party learned in the last five years after being relegated to the Opposition?
A lot. The party needed a shake-up for the last 15 years or so. It wasn’t happening when we were in power as the primary concern was governance. We survived 2014, though we lost terribly and I assure you that 2019 will be much better, where pundits will be surprised. Back then, people were angry about Congress and hopeful about Modi. It has changed. Now, people know that Congress has learned from its mistakes. We accept our mistakes. One of the major mistakes was we failed to communicate with people. Politics is not just about sitting in a room and working, you have to communicate to people without exaggerating about what you are doing.
Your failure to communicate has made middle class professionals drift towards the BJP…
Up to some extent. But Congress too is a party of professionals and the middle class. I don’t think they any longer remain core voters of the BJP. Traders aren’t going to be with them. Professionals did go with BJP, but we are bringing them back.
Apart from temples, Rahul Gandhi has been making many foreign visits and you have been with him in all. What have those tours delivered for the Congress party?
It allows Rahul Gandhi to speak to India through a very unfiltered prism. Unfortunately, a large portion of media here is biased. Out there, he is doing it through an independent prism. I don’t know why, but it has worked well. His visits outside have garnered much more media attention. In addition, the diaspora there is important as their families live here. We also encourage them to work with the party. It helps you build ties with political and business leaders there. As a national party, we should do this since foreign policy is a key factor in development agenda.
BJP says that Priyanka Gandhi’s entry is proof that Rahul cannot deliver for Congress on his own.
First of all, Rahul Gandhi cannot do it alone. He can’t manage each and every thing on his own. Her task and role is specific to revive the party in eastern Uttar Pradesh. It isn’t by any means an easy role. It is probably one of the most challenging parts of India for Congress. All credit [to] her. The rest is all just a distraction, just like the Ram Mandir is a distraction from the real issues of jobs, economy, agrarian crisis.