Another defeat but no lessons learnt
Divided Congress learns no lessons in Haryana - shouted the bold headline in a prominent national English daily. It was to highlight the Congress debacle in the civic elections in the state closely preceded by a defeat in the assembly polls. While this headline conveys the malady afflicting the over a century old party, this is just the half of the story. If this portrays the fissures in Haryana unit of the party, the other half of the problem, not mentioned in the analytical story is related to the newly built swanky Indira Bhawan, the Congress headquarters, watching the Congress’s annihilation, state after state, as a mute spectator.
In fact, this Indian Express headline, March 13, 2025, has a much broader connotation and relevance, not only to Haryana but across the country - from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
The biggest worry in Congress suffering successive defeats is that sweat and toil of the Leader of Opposition and de facto party president Mr Rahul Gandhi, in the form of his Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, covering nearly 10, 000 kilometers from north to south and from east to west, is going down the drains. Well, while the state units stood divided with personal ambitions of the leaders taking precedence over everything else including the party interests, many a time instigated by the BJP’s powerful election machinery with the back up of “state-tantra”, the AICC merrily looked the other way round. The latter’s focus has only been on floating fanciful ideas, its media and communication set-up being a silver-lining, and issuing diktats to the state and Union Territories units to follow the same without taking any step to perk up the organizational networks.
The result is there for everyone to see. Haryana, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir……. and the long list of other states and UTs where Congress has faced humiliation bear the testimony and raise the question; “What ails Congress and why no remedial steps?”
The ailment is well known. The surgeon (read the high command) fully well knows the nature of disease. But instead of pressing the emergency button and go for an effective remedy, the wound has been allowed to fester. Fact of the matter is that the doctor in this case does not have the courage to remove the malignant part to save rest of the body. The outcome is for all to see.
It has now become hackneyed to announce that the surgery was round the corner. But nothing happens except for cosmetic steps such as appointing a new PCC chief or replacing the AICC in-charges of a couple of states and UTs without fixing any accountability either for the past deeds or the coming responsibilities. Past experience shows, even in the recent changes, that not much strategic thinking goes into planning such changes particularly in respect of the suitability of the candidates, and more so religion and caste calculations in the face of stiff challenge posed by the BJP on this front.
It is one thing to create a foundation, in this case to get back the traditional Muslim-Dalit vote bank, and rightly too. But needs to be accompanied by a parallel strategy to not allow consolidation of BJP’s core vote base. Unfortunately, no attention has been paid by the Congress strategists to this aspect.
Three successive assembly election defeats followed by a wipe-out in civic polls in Haryana. Wash out in 2014, 2019, 2024 Lok Sabha elections and near debacle, having totally lost its stronghold of Jammu region to BJP, in the recently held assembly elections in J&K UT, and a similar fate awaiting the party in the impending civic elections. Thus reads the “fate line” of Congress without going for any “upaye” (remedy).
Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir are classic cases, though this is true of other states as well; the wounds being allowed to fester and inflictors allowed to go scot free. It was because to this lackadaisical attitude of the powers that be in Indira Bhawan that woes of the Congress continue to pile up particularly in Haryana, with the party failing to win a single mayoral election despite the presence of “towering leaders” such as former chief minister Mr B S Hooda, Kumari Selja and Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala.
A glaring instance of timidness and indecisiveness is that the party, ostensibly scared by the Hooda factor, has not been able to appoint the Congress Legislature Party leader. There lies the fault line which crisscrosses other states as well.
It is almost six months now that Haryana, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir elections were held. The “far-reaching changes or the surgical strike” which the top party bosses and their mouthpieces have been talking about, is nowhere in sight. The obvious corollary is that those responsible are still having a smooth sailing, in fact, daring the high command to act against them. In view of total inaction at the top and resultant debacles and confusion prevailing down below, a total demoralization has set-in among the cadres and those influential leaders sidelined by dominant state leaders.
No rocket science is needed to find what ails the Congress. A total lack of organisation, continued infighting and an indifferent high command are the real causes. Intriguingly, nothing much has been done to stem the rot on these counts. This is where the good work done by Mr Gandhi through establishing direct connect with the people, which had a salutary effect in checking the BJP-masterminded propaganda to sully his image through spreading lies and falsehood, and its positive impact on public mind has started considerably diluting.
Reacting to the mayoral election results, former six-time MLA and Haryana Congress leader Mr Sampat Singh said the party was losing precious time. “A formidable party organisation should be formed as early as possible. It is time for united efforts to boost the confidence of party men across the state.” His observation not only hold good for Haryana but across the states.
Facing debacles under its very nose should have alarmed the Congress top brass and reason enough to propel into action. Apart from neighbouring Haryana, the pathetic performance in Delhi, where the AICC headquarter is stationed, should have sent alarm bells ringing. Take this, even after 11 years, three Lok Sabha elections, and two Assembly polls, not to talk of losing civic elections, the party has not been able to make itself relevant, which it once was particularly during the golden-era of Mrs Sheila Dikshit.
Protecting legacy of Mr Gandhi’s padyatras, which helped him and Congress to emerge from a situation of hopelessness and enabled people to see realities, has to be the top priority of the party strategists. This is the foundation on which the new electoral edifice of the party could have been built. However, an important ingredient, in between, to re-build this structure is a strong organisational network. It is in the absence of this that the purpose of his marathon effort at connecting with people is getting defeated as there is no effective mechanism to carry the message forward.
The party is already at its lowest with pathetic scenario of Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Maharashtra prevailing all over. It must get rid of deadwood, self-seekers, many of whom have multiple electoral defeats to their credit, and alleged BJP-sleeper cell members.
