The Congress preparedness for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections appears to be both clumsy and devoid of direction. The first list released by the party has consciously and deliberately left out names from the crucial Hindi speaking states, where its nominees will be expected to take on the might of the BJP and its allies. The list, which has only one big name of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel from Rajnandgaon, besides Rahul Gandhi, who shall be contesting from Wayanad in Kerala.
The expectation was that the Congress would declare the candidates of at least Rae Bareli and Amethi which have been Gandhi bastions, as also Varanasi from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking re-election. Other than that, the names of most of the sitting members should have been announced. The impression that has been created, rightly or wrongly, is that the Congress has prioritized its intentions.
The first list has nominees who shall be pitted against the Left Democratic Front in Kerala and regional parties in Telangana and the Northeast. The intent of taking on the BJP is missing. One argument for this could be that the Congress fears that the BJP with its enormous resources, can lure the candidates it fields in a large number of places, thus causing grave embarrassment to the grand old party.
The other is that it apprehends that those whose names do not figure in the final list, may revolt and start working against the organization. These are valid concerns since the BJP has unsettled the Congress at multiple places and every day, one or the other prominent leader leaves the Congress for greener pastures elsewhere. The leaders who were groomed by the party and given multiple opportunities seem totally ungrateful and without batting an eyelid are prepared to switch sides. Suresh Pachauri, who had been sent to the Rajya Sabha five times, on Saturday, moved over to the BJP.
One wonders, what the saffron brigade finds in him since he has no grassroots level connect and has thrived through politics of sycophancy in the Congress. The Congress should be relieved and not worried about such a development since he brought nothing to the table but continued to enjoy the patronage of Sonia Gandhi and Ahmed Patel for a long time. The Congress has itself to blame for many such psychological warfare onslaughts that the BJP is inflicting.
The party would have been better placed, had there been a split either in 2014 or 2019. Historically, the Congress has bounced back after every major debacle, only because of a split in its ranks. For some odd reason, this has not taken place, and the party has to suffer the humiliation of its propped up and rootless leaders leaving for other outfits. Things as they exist in the Congress leave a lot to be desired.
The names of potential candidates for the Parliamentary polls are being finalized but there seems to be no logic or explanation for what has been happening. There are instances where the names of those who had been listed by the screening committee in its panel, disappeared when the list was presented before the Central Election Committee. It is obvious that someone is sabotaging the entire exercise to ensure that instead of winnability, sycophants find a place in the final declared list.
The impression that the high command was encouraging those who had come from outside, after leaving the party or otherwise, must be erased. Loyalty should be a major criterion and power politics within the organization till a point is fine, but it should not harm the overall interests, at least when the elections are round the corner. The party has been fully engaged in promoting the Rahul Gandhi-led Nyay Yatra without caring to reap the dividends because it does not have the organizational capacity to do so.
If the Congress manages to win despite its poor planning and strategy, it would only be because the people would opt for a change, the indication of which is not available at this juncture. The important issue is that the party should not ignore Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, that sends 80 MPs to Parliament. If the Gandhis decide not to fight from there, the signal would be that the Congress has conceded defeat.
At least one of the two, Rahul or Priyanka should contest from Amethi to enthuse the workers, who already seem demoralized due to the high voltage BJP campaign, that has begun even before the announcement of the polls by the Election Commission. Since Rahul has chosen to go to Kerala, Priyanka should be fielded from Amethi, the seat from which her parents and brother besides her uncle made their electoral debut.
If the need arises, Mallikarjun Kharge can be in the fray from Rae Bareli to reinforce the party’s intent and will to take on the BJP. The BJP may have had a head start because of its meticulous planning and the leadership of Narendra Modi. But the Congress, if it wishes to be in the fight, should have greater clarity.
The need even at this late hour is to have a political secretary to the party president since the likes of K.C. Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, who have been influencing decisions, lack the gravitas and the insight into how national politics works. The Gandhis too must show greater determination and ensure that no injustice is done to deserving candidates because of vested interests. Between us.