Labour in leadership tussle: Baichoo v/s Boolell

The Labour Party, one of the strongest political formation today in Mauritius, is facing its own troubles.

The party is facing a leadership tussle between Arvind Boolell’s group and that of Anil Baichoo.

After the failed attempt by the Arvind Boolell group to gain support from New Delhi, the latter has rallied his troops with that of Navin Ramgoolam.

The aim is to fend-off the push by the Baichoo team to gain an upper hand over the leadership tussle in the next party congress.

Boolell, like Baichoo, is hoping they will be nominated leader perhaps prior to the upcoming General Elections.

While the elections are expected at the end of the year 2019, the political formations are busy rebuilding their stables.

But the Labour Party is facing the difficult decision of nominating Mr Boolell as the leader – before or after the polls.

There is strong opposition to a non-Vaish Hindu holding the Labour leader post.

A group led by Anil Baichoo is pressing for a Vaish to be nominated as party leader instead.

While Baichoo is targeting the leadership of the party, Ramgoolam is said to have taken steps to halt a double-edged revolt against him.

Baichoo is said to have plotted a revolt against Ramgoolam with a certain number of party members.

“He is waiting for the party’s congress to make known his intentions, but Ramgoolam already has wind of the plot,” said a source to WFTV.

After the Boolell ‘revolt’ in New Delhi against Ramgoolam, the latter does not seem to be able to accept another revolt by his former protege.

Before the Labour’s defeat in the 2014 elections, Baichoo was seen as the man to replace Ramgoolam.

But with Boolell’s big win in the December 2017 by-elections, Baichoo’s popularity dipped.

The fall in his popularity with Ramgoolam had started after the 2014 defeat, an elections in which the Labour leader failed to win his seat.

This devastating element made Ramgoolam realise that the party’s foundations was not right.

Coupled with Boolell’s strong win – Boolell was the obvious candidate for the by-elections in Rose-Bell, Quatres-Bornes – the leadership battle shifted.

But the party still has to decide who among the two groupings – the one supporting Boolell or the one supporting Baichoo – have the upper hand.

WFTV is told that the Vaish element within the Labour Party would have the upper hand, as a number of party leaders and members are seemingly in support of Baichoo.