Rumblings in the South

Rumblings in the South ORGANISATIONALLY the Congress Party gives every indication being hopelessly beyond repair. The attempt at boosting the party's democratic credentials by pretending to hold organisational elections failed to convince. Most pradesh congress committees could not elect their presidents. As if to confirm that infusing democracy into the Congress is near impossible, rival factions turned to the high command to have their representatives installed. Even party president Narasimha Rao was recently forced to lament the state of affairs, commenting that the party had forgotten how to elect office-bearers, in the process forcing him to intervene and appoint them. It is another matter of course that, as in the case of the Congress Working Committee, when he is unable to countenance the outcome Rao himself is only too ready to undermine the electoral process. If such is the state of the high command the state units can scarcely be any better.