Congress slow off the blocks

Rajesh Ramachandran

IT is indeed tempting to do crystal-gazing and predict poll results based on news reports, political briefings and conjecture. In fact, most of the time, that is what passes off as election prognosis. Then, like astrologers, political commentators too rationalise their failed predictions, blaming them, instead of the planets, on the politicians: “If only they had done this and that and the other.” So, one is carefully desisting from any attempt at poll prediction.

The party needs to understand that it is all about an ideologically neutral, disenchanted voter, for whom the Congress is but an instrument to dislodge the incumbent, whenever the voter decides to do so.

But it was hard to miss the brouhaha over allegations of a polling company deleting its X post and also about a fake survey. The allegedly deleted post from pollster Pradeep Gupta’s Axis My India handle talks of a fierce battle ahead for the BJP in 13 states; and then there were survey results being attributed to the same company, claiming that the NDA was losing the polls. Soon, Axis My India clarified that this information was fake and that the company only did exit polls, not opinion polls.

But it indeed looks like the BJP is in for a tough contest in many states where it had swept the polls in 2019. Then, for the Opposition to benefit from such a close fight, it ought to be prepared to slug it out with the BJP. A fake survey or a deleted X post are not going to be enough to take on the juggernaut that is rolling relentlessly. The polling has begun, the first round is over, but the Congress is not yet ready.

Being in Chandigarh, it is impossible not to be affected by the theatre of the absurd opportunism that is playing out in this beautiful city. In fact, the neighbourhood’s beauty often hides its bulging underbelly of quid pro quos. It is a bipolar contest in the city and hence easier to campaign, contest and possibly win for either of the two parties — the BJP and the Congress. The first party to announce its candidate was the BJP.

Despite having four strong contenders — a sitting MP, a former MP and two former city party chiefs — there was not a murmur of dissent from those who missed out over the choice of the candidate. The announcement of the nominee was followed by the launch of the campaign. But not for the Congress. After its candidate was announced, a former MP, who was defeated in the last two polls, kicked up a storm of protest instead of the campaign dust.

There was nothing but infighting being talked about in the local media for about a week. Finally, an emissary from the high command had to fly in to mollify the defeated, but defiant, leader. What the high command’s assurance — a euphemism for quid pro quo for the sake of peace — is anybody’s guess. In the neighbouring constituency of Patiala in Punjab, the Congress has a candidate who had defeated the incumbent in 2014 with his clean image of being an idealistic, patient-friendly doctor. But that is not enough for local Congressmen.

Instead of seeking votes, all that is being done by local Congress leaders is bickering in Patiala, when there is but a little over a month left for polling. Punjab’s voters have no dearth of options: it is a four-cornered fight between the ruling AAP, prime Opposition party Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP. Yet, the Congress is hesitant to announce all the candidates, and none of the other three parties has displayed backbiting of this magnitude. AAP has declared all 13 candidates and has started its campaign in full throttle. If at all a party has to be the choice of the disenchanted voter, the least it has to display is an intent to put up a good fight, not exhibit a divided house.

Haryana is going to the polls only on May 25, yet the BJP announced all its candidates in late March itself. Haryana, like Punjab, ought to be one of the difficult states where the BJP could find the going tough. The BJP has named former state Congress president Ashok Tanwar and former MP Naveen Jindal among its nominees, and they have all hit the ground running in a desperate attempt to stem the anti-incumbency tide. Sushil Gupta, the lone candidate of AAP, which is part of the INDIA bloc, is also campaigning hard. But the Congress has not yet announced its nine candidates in the state.

Can Indian democracy or electronic voting machines be blamed for Opposition candidates not being announced in states where the BJP fears heavy losses? The unsaid logic of the late announcement of Congress candidates is to contain dissidence and keep the damage of rebellion to a minimum. But then, arm-twisting and blackmailing of the leadership cannot be termed a democratic norm; it is just extortionist bullying of a very weak leadership by power-hungry individuals.

These individuals mattered when the high command was strong enough to dispense favours of power and pelf. They were instruments to keep mass leaders on a tight leash. But now they are a nuisance. These individuals are counterproductive in a situation where the party is winning only out of the people’s anger against the incumbent and not because of its organisational strength. The Congress does not have a strong ideological or organisational framework to talk about. It was always a party of governance, seeking power.

Rahul Gandhi, in a recent video, termed Congress workers the party’s backbone and DNA who are fighting an ideological battle. He should have known better about those in Chandigarh or Patiala or elsewhere who only fight for a ticket. When they are denied it, they rebel and quit the party. Ideological wars can never be fought by those who aspire for power and its perks. Instead of burdening a regular Congress worker with highfalutin ideology, the party needs to understand that it is all about an ideologically neutral, disenchanted voter, for whom the Congress is but an instrument to dislodge the incumbent, whenever the voter decides to do so.

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