Congress has flunked the alliances test. What about the election exams?
Even where it has entered alliances, the Congress doesn't seem very happy.
To be or not to be — that's part of the Congress party's dilemma now. In an election season where most of the 'issues' it had lined up against PM Modi have fallen through, the Congress is in two minds on whether to peddle the 'soft Hindutva' line now. The line had fetched rich dividends in Karnataka, probably played a part in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, and almost caused a massive upset in the lion's den itself — Gujarat.
The Congress also unleashed its trump card ahead of the polls — the charismatic Priyanka Gandhi has taken the political plunge. Her journey from Prayagraj to Varanasi on a boat was a novelty of sorts. The response was warm. But the sheer number of temples visited en route has left lingering questions. Is the Congress revisiting the old soft Hindutva card? Could the initiation of a promising leader have been better planned? While the BJP has put the Ram Mandir issue on the backburner and banked heavily on big doses of masculine and muscular nationalism, is the Congress running chronically short of issues?
It is not that there is a dire shortage of issues. Agrarian crisis and lack of jobs could have been uncomfortable questions for the ruling dispensation — but where is the will to focus on those? Instead, the party seems to be keen to take on the BJP at its own game. By focusing on temples, Congress lost a big opportunity to strike a chord with people-centric issues, failures of the central and state government and project a people-friendly image itself.
It is true that the Congress was forced into the race in UP because of the SP-BSP combine's steadfast refusal to be allied with it. But every crisis can be an opportunity too. Sewing up minor alliances, projecting itself as a national alternative and focusing more on creating its own agenda and sticking to deliverables could have ensured a comeback for the party in a region it has long vacated.
But that has been the picture the Congress painted across the country.
When a miffed RLSP cut ties with NDA, a chastened BJP swung into action; putting party interests ahead of personal ego, it stitched together a deal in Maharashtra, addressed concerns of smaller allies like Apna Dal and accommodated them as per their aspirations. A major behind-the-scenes manoeuvring ensured that estranged Ahom Gana Parishad (AGP) returned back to the NDA fold. In a close contest, it is often the side with the greatest intent and determination that ends up on the podium. BJP and its leaders have walked the talk — party before self.
Meanwhile, the grand old party's steadfast refusal to engage with powerful regional players, especially Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati, may cost it dearly. In immersing egos and past baggage, Akhilesh Yadav showed that the unthinkable can be done. By ceding ground to Shiv Sena, the BJP ensured higher returns from Maharashtra. But even in places where it has entered into alliances, the Congress does not seem to be happy with playing the role of a junior partner. Tejashwi Yadav demonstrated political acumen beyond his age as he ensured a formula where alliance partners would be happy. If it was indeed PM Modi versus everyone else, then the most logical formula would have been allowing the leading party at a state to take the lead.
The truth is, solid alliances do have a great role to play in electoral successes - and a sense of entitlement has never won any elections.