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Dec

INDIA block for whom? 

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Today's Edition

New Delhi, 7 December 2023

Satish Misra

Draggers are openly out against the Congress in the Indian Nationalist Democratic Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) block after the country oldest party faced an electoral rout in three Hindi heartland states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

A formal meeting of the opposition alliance convened by Congress chief Malikarjun Kharge on December 6 in the Union capital had to be postponed till a suitable date after a no from Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister Nitiah Kumar, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin who expressed his inability to attend because of his preoccupation with the devastating cyclone Michaung in his state.    

Mamata Banerjee and Ahilesh Yadav led the pack blaming the Congress for the defeat of INDIA in the cowbelt states for not agreeing to seat adjustment. Nitish Kumar and his party colleagues were not behind in joining the chorus.

Though it is entirely speculative whether the Congress could have won assembly elections if it had given few seats primarily to the SP which after being spurned by the grand old party fielded 72 candidates in Madhya Pradesh and failed to win a single seat with a vote share of 0.43 percent.  Akhilesh Yadav had campaigned in Madhya Pradesh extensively and had accused the Congress of “cheating”. Despite his best efforts, the SP’s vote share went down compared to 2018 assembly elections.

Defeat of the Congress in three states has kept the party away from seat of power though it is also a fact that the party has a substantial vote share in five states where assembly elections were held. The Congress has ended up with 4.92 crore votes against the BJP that bagged 4.81 crore which is 11 lakh more. 

There are scores of far more significant causes for the Congress shameful defeat in the three states than merely failure to reach seat adjustment with some of the partners of the INDIA block. There is no doubt that the Congress lost on its own account particularly because of the arrogant leadership of Kamal Nath, Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel who were overconfident of themselves to win on their own. Failure of these leaders to make space for younger leaders and refusal to take other leaders on board is one of the most important reasons of the party’s defeat.

At the same time, it must be said that seat adjustment and giving some seats to alliance partners would have created a better electoral environment for INDIA alliance and could have avoided splitting of some votes. 

In this background, the opposition alliance INDIA that was brought together by united efforts of mainly Sharad Pawar, Nitish Kumar, Lalu Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, Uddhav Thackeray, Sitaram Yechury, D K Raja, Farooq Abdullah and Arvind Kejriwal at three meetings held in Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai stands demoralized and divided in public eyes.

Sordid state in which INDIA finds itself bags a crucial question whose answer is crucial to the country’s democratic polity. Who needs an opposition alliance that can challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP whose stranglehold on country politics is a growing threat to democracy, Constitution, undermining of institutions, misuse of central agencies and last but the most important unraveling of the Idea of India that emerged during long years of Mahatma Gandhi led freedom struggle.

Is it not equally important to each and every leader of the alliance to unitedly fight forces that are taking the country away from the common ideals and goals enshrined in the Constitution?

Instead of taking potshots at the Congress for its defeat in the three states, leaders irrespective of their party affiliations need to project an united front that can create confidence among the people that INDIA is in a position to challenge the BJP in the general elections.

With proper planning and mutual understanding, INDIA alliance is still in position to adequately challenge the BJP provided leaders don’t stand on their egos    

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