Congress won by default, slap on Advani's leadership

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Congress victory in Maha should be a lesson to all political parties. The party won inspite of bad performance and deep factional fighting's within the state. The strong national leadership and divided opposition helped the party to retain its hold.

CJ: Narendra Ch

Fri, Oct 23, 2009 11:38:27 IST

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Congress News :

CONGRESS SEEMS to be jubilant with the results of three Assembly elections with the chances of forming its governments in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh. As these are the first major elections held after Congress victory in the Lok Sabha elections held in May, early this year, the party has a reason to celebrate.

The results helped the party to continue the hysteria created with its success in Lok Sabha elections and also enabled party president Sonia Gandhi to get firm hold over the national politics. The immediate benefit the party witnessed with the son of late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, YS Jaganmohan Reddy meeting her on Thursday morning and promising her to follow her instructions in the politics of Andhra Pradesh.

Since last 50 days, his followers have been challenging the party high command and challenging the appointment of senior minister K Rosaiah as Chief Minister of the state after the death of his father Rajaskehara Reddy in tragic helicopter mishap on September 2.

His supporters claim the support of 155 MLAs out of 157 Congress MLAs in Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Assembly. Due to their opposition, so far the party high command failed to convene the meeting of party legislature party to pay condolence to the death of Rajasekhra Reddy and also formal election of Rosaiah as CLP leader.

Party young MLAs and some ministers are openly threatening that they would revolt against party high command if it failed to nominate Jaganmohan Reddy as Chief Ministerial candidate.

But the outcome of three Assembly elections strengthened the hands of Sonia Gandhi and sent a clear signal that no one can remain in the party by challenging her leadership

However, a close analysis shows that the victory of Congress in these three Assemblies was by default. Mostly division among opposition parties helped the Congress to retain its hold. Congress failed to secure absolute majority in Maharashtra and Haryana. In Haryana, the difference between Congress and close opposition party is very narrow.

The demoralised BJP leadership also helped the Congress to retain its hold. Raj Thackeray’s presence in Mumbai and Thane helped the Congress to maintain its lead and also Sharad Pawar’s poor performance helped.

So far, Sharad Pawar is seen as a Prime Ministerial candidate in waiting and he has capacities to mobilise the support of Left, major opposition parties and also a major section of Congress. But his stature is now limited to a region in Maharashtra.

In 1993, when he challenged the leadership of the then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, he had emerged as a national leader with potentials of becoming Prime Minister. Even later, he has emerged as a strong Maharashtra leader. In 2004 elections in Maharashtra, his party had two more seats than Congress in the Assembly, but conceded Chief Minister's post to Congress.

In 2009 Lok Sabha elections also, he was seen as a potential Prime Ministerial candidate in the case of hung Parliament. But his party fared very badly in the state. Now, the strength of his party in Maharashtra Assembly is 20 seats lower than Congress.

Though BJP managed two more seats than Shiva Sena, it failed to project any impressive leadership. Internal disputes and falling image of its supreme leader LK Advani makes the party victim of self-mistakes. These elections have proved once again that unless the party national leadership is completely changed and `gang’ surrounded by Advani were kept away, the party has no future to play in Indian politics.

Party leadership arrogance has resulted in Haryana to help Congress to emerge as major party in the Assembly. It has given chance for suspicions that a section of the party leadership had colluded with Congress leaders to divide opposition votes. The results proved that, had BJP remained in alliance with Chautala’s Lok Dal, the NDA would have emerged as victorious and returned to power.

The Congress victory in Mahrashtra should be a lesson to all political parties. That the party has won inspite of its bad performance while in power and deep factional fighting’s with in the state unit. The strong national leadership and divided opposition helped the party to retain its hold.

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