Congress chants Indira Mantra again

Without a winning strategy, the party is counting on the late PM’s memory to connect with voters in 2019
Late Indira Gandhi at a rally when she was Prime Minister
Late Indira Gandhi at a rally when she was Prime Minister

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the 2019 national elections, the Congress is falling back on its tried and tested stratagem—invoking the memory of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to connect with voters. In Uttar Pradesh, one of the most crucial states in the Big Fight, the Grand Old Party still can’t figure out a winning strategy, hence the extra dependence on Mrs Gandhi.

Uttar Pradesh has 80 of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats—the biggest chunk. In the 2014 General Elections, the Congress could win just two seats in the state. Later during the Assembly polls in April this year, the party came a cropper, bagging just seven of the total 403 seats.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi contest from Rae Bareli and Amethi respectively in Uttar Pradesh. With the tide turning slowly but surely at the national level, Rahul is keen to change the game in the state ahead of the 2019 national elections. Sources say the party has not been able to find a single big idea or a set of ideas, which it can highlight to win back the trust of the voters.

With Rahul focusing on poll-bound Gujarat, party managers in Uttar Pradesh are busy organising conclaves in Indira’s memory, with recent ones in Lucknow, Jhansi, and Varanasi on September 13, 18 and 25 respectively. The next one will be in Bareilly. A senior AICC functionary says these events are part of Indira’s birth centenary celebrations.

Party strategists acknowledge they have not been able to capitalise on several issues that surfaced over the past few months to corner the ruling BJP, be it the BHU protests, child deaths in government hospitals, widespread farm distress, and general lack of development.

They claimed a weak organisation and too many leaders continue to pose a challenge before the Uttar Pradesh Congress. “Local leaders often work at cross- purposes to keep themselves ahead,” rued a senior Uttar Pradesh Congress leader.

Grand Old Strategy

Party managers in Uttar Pradesh are busy organising conclaves in the memory of Indira Gandhi. The recent ones were in Lucknow, Jhansi, and Varanasi on September 13, 18 and 25 respectively. The next one will be in Bareilly.

Low Membership

The party’s membership drive in many districts has not been up to desired levels, delaying the ongoing internal elections, which are expected to throw up a new set of office bearers. State leaders have no clarity if incumbent Uttar Pradesh unit chief Raj Babbar will continue or not in the run up to the 2019 national polls.

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The New Indian Express
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