Congress in a spot

A stunning defeat in Haryana and a dismal performance in Jammu & Kashmir have undermined the Congress’ pre-eminent position in the INDIA bloc ahead of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections. The grand old party was sitting pretty after an impressive show in the Lok Sabha polls, but things have changed after the October 8 verdict. Some of its allies, such as the Shiv Sena-UBT (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), the CPI and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have advised the Congress to introspect and review its strategy for the upcoming polls. With the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s seat-sharing talks in Maharashtra entering the last lap, the Shiv Sena-UBT and Sharad Pawar-led NCP are sensing an opportunity to extract a better bargain from the Congress.

The Congress has been quick to remind its alliance partners that it was the top performer in Maharashtra in this year’s Lok Sabha polls, winning 13 of the 17 seats it contested (Shiv Sena-UBT and the BJP won nine each). However, there is simply no room for complacency after the party made the blunder of regarding Haryana as low-hanging fruit. Its decision to go solo rather than tying up with AAP has come under scrutiny. Though AAP drew a blank, its vote share of 1.79 per cent impacted the outcome of the neck-and-neck race between the BJP and the Congress.

As the Congress high command returns to the drawing board, it needs to be more accommodative of its INDIA partners. With the BJP in the ascendant in Jharkhand, the Congress should be humble enough to play second fiddle to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. In Maharashtra, too, it must prioritise what is best for the alliance over what suits its own interests. The BJP has regrouped very well after its underwhelming show in the parliamentary polls — hubris has made way for coalition dharma. The Congress can learn a lesson or two from its archenemy.