Opposition unity a major challenge for Congress
‘Regional players believe that contesting with the Congress may not help the parties’ Lok Sabha poll prospects’.
Even after the success of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, which party leaders say put the Congress in top gear, party insiders claim that the party has again gone on the back-foot due to its alleged “incompetence” in giving responsibilities to deserving party functionaries. This has resulted in state parties doubting the grand old party’s ability and its role as the main opposition party.
Knowing that Congress is of no consequence in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, political pundits argue that regional players like Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, who want to remove the BJP from power, would be willing to contest alone in their states, as it would give their cadres more space in allotting tickets without having to share seats for a “losing cause”.
Regional players, thus, believe that contesting with the grand old party may not be fruitful as far as the parties’ electoral prospects are concerned. Those parties who are openly refusing to ally with the Congress further claim that even if they ally with Congress and ask for votes in the name of Rahul Gandhi, there is even less chance of getting votes in the Lok Sabha elections.
However, JDU in Bihar and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra are already in the Congress’ fold and it is fair to assume
that they will remain there unless another flipflop by Nitish Kumar is on the cards. A political analyst said, “The only positive for the Congress in the coming general elections for now
seems its chances of winning better number of seats in Bihar and Maharashtra and the addition of two state parties in UPA which can add more than fifty seats to the UPA.” Maharashtra has 48 and Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha seats.
Moreover, senior Congress functionaries claim that the party has been unable to carry the momentum it generated from Rahul Gandhi’s yatra. A senior Congress leader said, “After the plenary session in Chattisgarh, the top leaders think they have made a big move by getting together and discussing about the future of the party and India. And have gone back to their comfortable rooms. There are no substantial orders from the top, nothing has changed on the ground.”
Congress leaders lament the slow functioning of the high command and its inability to initiate work and set up committees. Though the Lok Sabha elections are a year away, senior leaders believe that there is no change in the approach of senior leaders. However, other leaders believe that the party will work on a war-footing after the Congress Working Committee is formed.
Moreover, the plenary session had come up with an idea of accommodating a young leadership. But, the old coterie is viewed to be still dominating in Congress’ routine functioning. The election-bound state of Rajasthan is still hanging between high command’s impending decision on Ashok Gehlot’s alleged “rebellion” and “indecisiveness” over Sachin Pilot’s future in the party.