Divided they stand

The dust has settled over the presidential election with NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind romping home with a huge margin. However, the ballot for the top constitutional post has strangely kicked up dust in Goa where the math has gone horribly wrong for Congress. Cross-voting within the party by four MLAs in Goa during the presidential elections may have not had any impact on the end result as Kovind was elected as India's 14th President with a thumping 65.6% votes. However, the toppling moves, the hopes of government collapse and the unity which the Congress party was talking about were exposed. Keep aside talks of getting the allies to split away from the BJP, the Congress were embarrassed to find that four of its MLAs did not support their official candidate. What's more appalling is that one vote of the party was rejected. Indications are that the rejected vote was of a senior legislator within the party.
The Congressmen although went into a quick huddle, but no answers were forthcoming. The newly-elected Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Shantaram Naik is of the firm belief that an internal probe will soon reveal who were involved in cross-voting. Shantaram may take solace from the fact that he is not the Congress Legislature Party's leader, but again that doesn't help the cause. Introspections and internal probes haven't yielded any results for Congress.
CLP leader Babu Kavlekar's thinking that four of his MLAs voted for the NDA by mistake is beyond any reason. Getting it all right with all 16 votes for the Rajya Sabha elections is no justification for cross-voting to be brushed aside as a mistake. The Congress leader must realize that it's not a question of disgruntled elements wanting to leave the party. The party is putting up a fragile coating of unity which is only an outward projection. By giving the five MLAs the benefit of doubt, Kavlekar has arrived at a temporary solution to a long standing problem.
The divisions within the party were visible on the floor of the House too. Pratapsingh Rane stood his ground and did not side his colleagues when Congress MLAs disrupted proceedings of the House protesting against a circular issued by the government debarring officials from visiting residences of legislators. Kavlekar was candid enough to announce that Sr Rane has upset party MLAs as the move was unanimously decided. Congress must give up on its outlandish thoughts of government crumbling on its own weight and begin ground work on a serious note. The real test awaits with the Panaji and Valpoi bypolls a few months away. The party needs to bring all its forces together if it has any ambition of taking a second shot at power.