It is strange to see the enthusiasm for alliances with compromises at any cost by Mallikarjun Kharge.
“Experience has shown that coalition governments at the Centre have never been able to function effectively…. Compromises were made on cabinet positions within the coalition. The significance of coalition partners was in their ability to destabilize the government, in a direct proportion. We have witnessed a government that prioritized satisfying coalition allies over its own governance tasks. It was evident that she was hesitant to utilize her complete authority to resolve these internal conflicts.”
This quote is not from Prime Minister Narendra Modi or any election manifesto of the BJP. The above excerpt is from the Congress party’s declaration letter for the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, featuring the portrait of the then party president Sonia Gandhi and the party’s election symbol—the hand. Congress was not in power at that time, and the BJP was its biggest challenge. Therefore, even now, the flag of leadership bearing the names and leadership of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, is being carried in cities like Patna, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi. Seeing the enthusiasm for alliances with compromises at any cost by Mallikarjun Kharge, the “accidental” Congress president, and his associates, seems strange. Rahul Gandhi, who is talking about starting his second political journey from Gujarat in October, was around 50 years ago (October 1972) present as a correspondent at the Congress convention held in Gandhinagar. I heard sparks flying against Opposition parties including socialists, Jan Sangh, and Communists, during the Congress convention, where top Congress leaders (like Indira Gandhi, Jagjivan Ram, Shankar Dayal Sharma, Sardar Swarn Singh) were present. Therefore, the new path of Congress can now be considered a necessity. However, this necessity is not only against the Opposition, but also highlights the weaknesses and dire condition of the party’s organization.
Capitalizing on the difficulties of any government has been a part of Opposition politics. However, creating challenges solely to inconvenience the government, exploiting communal violence, tension, or attempting to gain political benefits from security-related issues, cannot be deemed conducive to democracy.
The recent incidents of horrifying violence in Manipur, communal disturbances in Haryana, as well as terrorist attacks by Pakistan and military incursions by China at the border have revealed a detrimental stance of the Congress towards democracy. The Congress is running a campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government, while giving increasing importance to Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi has benefited from his first “Bharat Jodo Yatra” and his return to Parliament, which has helped improve his image. However, there is not only dissatisfaction among the general public due to the party’s attempts at alliances and coalitions, but also deep discontent among the party’s dedicated workers.
This discontent is visible in the National Janata Dal of Lalu Yadav’s family, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party, Stalin’s DMK, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, Sharad Pawar’s fractured Nationalist Congress Party, and Uddhav Thackeray’s divided Shiv Sena, as well as within Rahul-Kharge’s Congress party itself.
Experience of alliances is not only observed by Congress leaders but also by Opposition leaders. They have seen and endured not just in 1967, 1977, 1979, but also in 1991, 1996, 1997, and 1998. Chaudhary Charan Singh, Chandra Shekhar, and Inder Kumar Gujral are no longer here, but H.D. Deve Gowda still remembers the wounds inflicted by Congress. It’s uncertain whether the Congress youth leaders remember the 1998 alliance or not, but records show that on 28 November, under the leadership of old Congress leader Inder Kumar Gujral, the Congress brought down the United Front government because it was reluctant to remove ministers of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) due to political compulsions. The Congress was displeased with the fact that when facts supporting the involvement of DMK leaders in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case were presented by the Jain Commission, how could leaders of that party remain in the government. The result was that after this, under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allied parties got the opportunity to govern for seven years, and the power of the BJP continued to grow. Then in 2014 and 2019, the Congress was virtually wiped out, and under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the BJP formed a government with a strong majority, making historic decisions. Congress leaders are now not only dealing with opposition from the Opposition, but are also ready for possible compromises with parties led by Indira-Rajiv Gandhi’s party and their governments. Leaders like Laloo Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, and many regional leaders who strongly oppose the parties and governments of Indira Rajiv Gandhi are ready for all possible negotiations.
This compulsion exists because in states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, the Congress’ structure is like a crumbling fortress. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, in the previous elections, the party’s candidates couldn’t even secure enough votes to save their bail. For the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, this week, Congress appointed Ajay Rai as the president of Uttar Pradesh, who for years served as a leader of the BJP and Samajwadi Party, eroding the political presence of Congress and its regional leaders. Yes, in the previous Lok Sabha elections, Congress candidates were decisively defeated by Narendra Modi. This means that Congress either lacks a suitable old or new leader to present, or the central leaders don’t have confidence in their own ranks. For Bihar, Rahul Gandhi is repeatedly seeking support from Lalu and Nitish Kumar, humbling himself for their favour. Sharad Pawar, who broke away from Congress in opposition to Sonia Gandhi, is now sending letters of respect to guide the coalition in Pawar’s court.
The most interesting aspect is that the Congress organization has sidelined the Seva Dal and the Women’s Congress for many years. Now, in party conferences, they are being brought forward with caps or white sarees along with party flags. There was a time when membership in Congress required mandatory training in the Seva Dal.
Indira Gandhi even brought Rajiv Gandhi into Congress through the Seva Dal. Today, these foot soldiers of Congress are disheartened and troubled by their party’s pitiable condition and neglect. At one point, Sucheta Kripalani was the leader of the Women’s Congress.
In recent years, many Congress members struggle to even name the president of the Women’s Congress. During elections, candidates from the Seva Dal or Women’s Congress can only become last-minute alternatives, often without their opinions being considered. In such circumstances, to compete with the BJP or its allied parties, Congress will have to rely on the assistance of regional strongholds.
The writer is editorial director of ITV Network-India News and Dainik Aaj Samaj.