Congress-mukt Bengal; Rajasthan Race; Dhoni Class

Opinion Watch          

Congress-mukt Bengal

West Bengal is now Congress –mukt, said The Telegraph in its Editorial while commenting on Bayron Biswas joining the Trinamool Congress in three months after winning the Sagardighi Assembly seat. The daily, while underlining that the TMC is not immune to immorality, flagged the inability of the Congress to hold on to its flock of MLAs, which it said is a national phenomenon.

The Kolkata-based daily reasoned that the poaching of Biswas by the TMC may test the Congress-Left alliance in West Bengal. Yet, the daily stressed, the TMC should reflect on reasons which led to the loss of the Sagardighi Assembly seat, as Muslims and women had drifted to the Congress.

The decline of the Congress has for years been on account of the party losing its stocks to regional parties such as Biju Janata Dal in Odisha, TMC, Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, and lock stock and barrel shift to outfits in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The Congress must know that the party, to become a serious national player, needs to wrest back the lost territories.

Rajasthan Race

The Asian Age believes that the temporary truce in its restive unit in Rajasthan may help the Congress to put up a united show in the Assembly election later this year. In its Editorial, the daily reasoned that the Karnataka victory has given a template to the party to buy peace with feuding factions.

The daily noted that the best hope for the Congress would be a dynamic equilibrium in the Rajasthan unit, as the incumbent Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has shown his insistence in not losing an inch to the rival Sachin Pilot. The daily has also counselled the Congress to get fighting fit to be seen as a serious challenger to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Gehlot survived almost five years of Pilot piloting plot against him, and the Congress high command should know that the survival instinct makes the chief minister its asset and not liability. Pilot despite inheriting his father late Rajesh Pilot’s legacy could not expand his base beyond Gujjars.

Dhoni Class

T20 Cricket may for years to come will be remembered as the turf of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and The Indian Express in its Editorial paid him rich tribute. The daily noted the cricket fans dropping their club loyalties to cheer for Dhoni after the IPL finale, noting that no cricketer has won so much of unconditional love from fans.

While spotlight rightly remains on Dhoni, the Noida-based daily underlined the remarkable compact backroom team of the Chennai Super Kings, with Stephen Fleming holding the show. The daily also underlined that the CSK team is now in a tournament winning habit.

Beauty of the Indian cricket is that it’s able to produce icons decade after decade who inspire generations. Dhoni is a class, who is made of calm nerves and blessed with a thinking mind. He may soon be a subject worthy of study.           

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