Congress’ victory gives Oppn a new lease of life

THE Congress’ spectacular victory in Karnataka is a big boost for the Opposition a year ahead of the General Election. Choosing a non-Gandhi as the party chief seems to have worked for the Congress.

The spotlight is on Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who is proving to be the lucky mascot for the grand old party. Kharge’s litmus test would, however, be to ensure that there is no confrontation over the selection of the state’s new Chief Minister. During campaigning, he had remained on the job, reducing the chances of rebellion or factionalism.

After the victory in Himachal Pradesh last year, the Congress has now won a big state that sends 28 Lok Sabha members to Parliament. It was in December 2018 that the Congress had won Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Kharge now has the task of bringing together Opposition parties for the 2024 General Election. Alliances in Indian politics are forged from a position of strength. While the Congress may not get the leadership role, it would now have greater scope to negotiate with non-NDA partners. The party needs to get Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and K Chandrashekar Rao on board.

The Opposition is fancying its chances as the political situation in Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal and Maharashtra has the potential to reduce the BJP’s 2019 Lok Sabha tally by at least 60 parliamentary seats. If this becomes a reality in May 2024, the prospects of a non-NDA government will become somewhat bright. Kharge, for tactical reasons, had put the AICC’s organisational revamp on hold even after getting the mandate from the Raipur plenary. He is empowered to nominate 35 Congress Working Committee members and AICC office-bearers. He hopes to accommodate aspirants from the erstwhile G23 group and those chosen from the states. The tricky part of the exercise entails the settlement of long-standing disputes in the party-ruled states of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. In Kharge’s scheme of things, Sachin Pilot, who is currently on a padyatra in his home state Rajasthan, is a suitable person to be in the CWC or the AICC secretariat. Pilot, it’s an open secret, aspires to replace Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. The high command may not be able to fulfil this demand, but after the May 13 victory, the party has the heft to appoint him as the Rajasthan Congress president if Pilot insists on staying in state politics.

Kharge has taken a lot of pressure off the Gandhis, who were saddled with organisational responsibilities. In the days to come, one would see him meeting many more Opposition leaders. Rahul would have the freedom to embark upon more yatras and tours, while Priyanka Gandhi would get time to campaign across the country.

The next major challenge for the Congress is the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Kharge is likely to push for the Karnataka model in Madhya Pradesh, where Kamal Nath is known for his hard work, grit and perseverance. Nath, given his seniority, enjoys close rapport with Kharge and the Gandhis. He has reportedly requested Priyanka to focus on Madhya Pradesh, where the Assembly elections are due in November-December. In March 2020, barely 15 months after he took over as the chief minister, Nath had resigned from the top post without facing a floor test in the Assembly — days after rebel Jyotiraditya Scindia had switched over to the BJP.

Kharge also reportedly wants to resolve the party’s ideological dilemmas. When the Congress inserted a sentence in its manifesto, promising a ban on the Bajrang Dal, there was muted criticism from within. There was no dearth of party leaders who in whispers had criticised general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala for insisting upon the Bajrang Dal ban and scoring an alleged self-goal. The Karnataka outcome has shown that the gamble has paid off.

Unless the Congress projects itself as ideologically different from the BJP, the grand old party cannot consolidate its support base among the non-BJP supporters who are in great numbers and looking to the Congress as an alternative.

The Karnataka success indicates the longevity of the Congress and its resilience amid adversity and gloom. The party lives on to fight another day. For those who called the Congress dead, the news is that the party is alive and kicking.

At the same time, the Congress needs to be wary of complacency. The BJP, after this electoral setback, would retaliate and try to shatter the Congress’ new-found morale. The Congress needs to keep its house in order in Karnataka and other party-ruled states. It also has to insist on good governance and accountability, besides zero tolerance for corruption, communalism and abuse of power, in all party-ruled states. Unless the Congress showcases itself as a credible alternative to the BJP in its socio-economic and political thinking, the psychological advantage gained with the May 13 win may be lost sooner rather than later.