No Country for Congress?- Opinion by Benul Beshak

Benul Beshak

‘Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy’. Ernest Benn, very respected, early 20^th century British writer and political publicist, perhaps had reserved this ‘premonition’ for the congress party of 2016, whose saga of woes doesn’t seem to end, and is creation of its own misplaced priorities. While their poor cousin, the Left, had just managed to save face in Kerala, after a bloody nose in Bengal, the congress has been, it seems,rejected, if not totally decimated, in four out of five election bound states; with a peripheral alliance government with DMK in Pondicherry offering little consolation.While its leaders trying to put up a brave front in laying the blame at the door of anti-incumbency in Assam and Kerala, where its tally has come down substantially, what should actually worry Congress, is the inroads that BJP has made both in Bengal and Kerala, besides getting close to majority in Assam. Bharat, it seems, could indeed become ‘Congress Mukt’, if it loses in Punjab and UP elections; in both states congress already has conceded lot of ground since last assembly elections.

Same Card Too Often?

Congress continues to liberally lose big states after 2014 general election. The nosedive has coincided with the rise of BJP, which now rules in nine states, and four in alliance, as against the Congress’s five (most of them smaller states), and two in alliance. While the regional politics has an important part to play in the elections, the image of Congress party, as an alternative, is increasingly getting untrustworthy and tasteless. The cards of secularism and socialism, which have been overplayed, have started to provide diminishing returns. Left parties too met the similar fate, far from the halcyon days of 2005-2010, and have now become ‘Left’overs, across a couple of small states and a couple of college campuses! Thedisconnect of the party echelons with the ground root realities, sentiments and aspirations of the people is huge. A textbookish, politically correct brand positioning may get you ‘Best Ad Award’ but it doesn’t add value to the brand unless it is seconded by some credible display of intent, which could be taken on face value by the audience. And this is where Congress has failed, repeatedly. You can’t name one leader in the party today who is perceived honest, and is popular at the same time!Its top leaders are either busy defending their one scam or the other on TV, or counting followers on Twitter! So called young generation leaders have chosen low-level appointment of become full-time advisors to Rahul Gandhi (even that’s not helping the poor thing!). State party units are left to fend for themselves, due to the lack of credible top leadership, much to the chagrin of the party workers.

Leadership on the Brink?

Congress is in a unique dilemma where it realizes it needs something radical, but can’t muster courage to implement it, because the turnaround begins with dispensing with their 18-year party president and bringing in somebody at the helm, who could give a new cult to the party. I don’t know why people make so much fuss about the cult. Personality cults are indispensable for creating and sustaining movements. Essentially, historically, all movements, especially political ones, have been built around one prominent leader, who becomes face of it.The key, however, is that the face really has to be above board and inspiring. This is where Gandhis fail miserably, but operative part is that nobody, except Gandhis themselves, can do anything about it.The party finds it hard to dispense with the Gandhis, even knowing fully well that they have long run out of steam.Call it historical hangover or fear of unfamiliar territory ahead. With Sonia Gandhi facing serious charges of corruption and Rahul Gandhi still ‘learning and preparing’, and the party bleeding by the day,Congress has to take a tough call. I mean, how many time people can hear puerileanecdotes of Rahul Gandhi about Kalawatis, boats and women empowerment. This silly symbolism of spouting socialism in media and the fashion of spending night at dalits’ places doesn’t impress anyone. Congress can’t wait for him to grow up, anymore!

Everytime Congress loses an election, clamours of changing the top leadership emerge, but die as soon. These state elections debacle has put congress perniciously closer to the edge. The ‘introspection’ business after every defeat, is nothing but a fig leaf for prolonging the inevitable. But without a credible second line of leadership, how it is going to do it, if at all, would be interesting to watch.Till then let Mamatas and Jayas have their days in sunshine.