Losing the Plot: From Rafale to Nyay, here's everything that went against the Congress in 2019

When Yogendra Yadav said: "Congress must die", the message struck a few raw nerves. While I am not sure of anything likely happening soon, the fact that political analysts have started to venture out on hitherto uncharted territory is an encouraging sign. Every mature democracy, at some point of time in its history, starts questioning itself. Even uncomfortable questions, those that were sidelined in its infancy and adolescence in 'national interest', are asked.

While not totally agreeing with the assumption that Congress is or was ever the designated local guardian for saving the 'idea of India', it must be said that of late, it has done precious little for the same. There was extreme euphoria and talks of 'normalcy being restored' and a 'sense of relief' after the Assembly polls in the Hindi heartland chose Congress for the next term — while talks of decimating the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections were doing the rounds, the number crunchers amongst us probably had their doubts.

The margin of victory and vote share, other than in Chhattisgarh, was not something to go over the roof on. On the contrary, there was a situation where anti-incumbency against the BJP government could boomerang back on the Congress. The main argument behind this was, while rural distress is still an issue, farm loan waivers, at least, the populist ones that political parties, regardless of their ideologies flaunt, is a recipe for disaster.

Keep party ideologies apart and analyse these across states — these waivers suffer from the same basic limitations, irrespective of state, party, government.

As regional parties now filled the vacuum left behind by a crumbling Congress' grassroots party structure, the party went into a shell. Regional parties are more in touch with local aspirations and in India, that is a must for electoral success. As most of these parties prescribed to the political ideologies of secularism and socialism, they easily supplanted the Congress. 2004 and 2009 were a turning of tides, but the writing was always on the wall — 'like-minded parties' were no longer a political nicety, it was a compulsion.

Then 2014 happened — and suddenly, a rather familiar political party was transformed beyond belief by one resolute politician.

He showed what single-minded determination, strategizing and drive could achieve.

For the first couple of years, the Congress went numb. There was almost no reaction, no counter. In elections after, the Congress was decimated across India and the BJP grew.

When a national party approaches a General Election with the Rafale deal as its prime poll plank, that too in a country where 40% of employment is provided by the farm sector, and where at least half the farmers are or were in distress in the last half-decade, it tells you a lot about its strategists.

I think 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' was the biggest embarrassment the Congress faced in recent times. How many General Elections do you remember where opposition parties lacked even a catchy slogan?

Despite experts opining against it, the Congress party also stuck to the farm loan waiver scheme. When that did not work, the offer of Rs 72,000 per year for per poor family was floated. It was so vague, that despite the claims of it being certified by an ex-RBI governor, an erudite ex-finance minister was visibly at pains in explaining it to the people and the press. The 'poor', who are fondly recollected every time the country votes, were sceptical — they would rather do with what they have, which was PM Kisan Samman Nidi's Rs 6,000 yearly. The middle class paying taxes meanwhile was shocked.

If you are offering almost 90 crore voters something, please keep in mind their aspirations too. Please remember they are connected on social media, internet, the world is in their palms and more than half of them carry a smartphone. Their aspirations have changed — they want opportunities, not doles and handouts. 2014 was a mandate for great expectations. While all may not have been fulfilled in the last five years, the voters thought that the Prime Minister was moving down the right path — hence, 2019 was not a General Election, but a vote of confidence.

2014 saw the BJP revamp into BJP 2.0.

It needed planning, strategizing, lots of effort and mobilisation and then, success followed. There were some setbacks in 2018 and some opportunistic allies abandoned the ship. But a solid grassroots party structure, along with a most resolute and single-minded party chief, got to work — and the results followed. So, it is not rocket science. It is about hard work, intent, dedication and belief — and lastly, it has nothing to do with EVMs.

Is the Congress listening?

Also Read: How Narendra Modi won: He is India's most loved leader today. And he determinedly wooed one section of the populace