NEW DELHI: Hope floats for Congress as 2022 has woken up the grand old party from its deep slumber. Two important events the election of a non-Gandhi as the party president and Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra are expected to give a fresh lease of life to its sagging fortunes.
With the next two years packed with several Assembly elections and the crucial Lok Sabha polls, it is set to be a do-or-die battle for Congress. Challenges are plenty for the party, as it hopes to cash in on the goodwill and momentum gained by the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which covers 3,500 km over 150 days between Kanyakumari and Srinagar. Though the party hopes that the yatra will give Rahul a makeover from a party leader into a national leader, it is too early to say if he can translate the march into votes.
However, the recent Gujarat Assembly election results and Delhi MCD poll have illustrated Congress’ unpreparedness and complacency while taking on the mammoth machinery of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The win in Himachal Pradesh polls may be a consolation for the party which has seen successive electoral setbacks.
However, the Gujarat debacle turned out to be a big blow. With the party facing an unprecedented challenge from Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab, Gujarat, Delhi and Goa, the Congress machinery will have to work overtime to turn the tide in its favour.
For the new party president Mallikarjun Kharge, the immediate challenge is to reclaim the seat of power in Karnataka, his home state. The upcoming elections in Tripura, Meghalaya, and Nagaland will also be a litmus test as the polls will set the tone for the general elections.
Besides bracing for the poll battle, setting the house in order will be the Karnataka stalwart’s crucial test in the days to come. Though the party has been successful in keeping factionalism in poll-bound Rajasthan under control for now, the cracks may resurface anytime.
Likewise, the internal strife in Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana may spell trouble for its electoral prospects there. The Congress is also aware that the battle against the BJP can be won only through a strategic alliance with regional satraps. Many feel that Kharge can work out a mutually beneficial tie-up with regional parties.
In terms of internal workings, Congress has a long way to go as its presidential poll was marred by charges of lack of democracy. The questions raised by the ginger group G-23 are still relevant, they say. With the party’s plenary session scheduled in February, the key question of holding an election to the Congress Working Committee will be keenly watched.
Party facing do-or-die battle in next two years
With the next two years packed with several Assembly polls and the Lok Sabha polls, it is set to be a do-or-die battle for Congress. Challenges are plenty for the party, as it hopes to cash in on the goodwill and momentum gained by the Bharat Jodo Yatra