- The Grand Old Party is on the decline over the last decade or so needs no elaboration or further emphasis. A slew of successive setbacks in the state assembly elections to cross the winning line firmly establishes the fact that the Indian Congress Party should resort to honest soul searching as to where exactly it finds itself alienated from the people. Hard to believe that just a few decades back there was no veritable challenge to the Congress party in the political landscape whilst ruling in almost every state except maybe a few left-dominated citadels. Rather than introspect where exactly the party is going wrong from the fast-evolving aspirational electorate who would not be easily swayed by the glorious past, the Congress party appears to have adopted an ostrich-like attitude further alienating even the loyal backers.
PC:
- There is no denying that ambitious leaders with the sole objective of carving out a definite niche always look to move out whenever an opportunity presents itself. It is also inevitable to witness a power struggle amongst the leaders aspiring to don the leadership mantle and be in the limelight positioning as well as seeking recognition to stand out amongst others. As the old guards make way for energetic and hopeful leaders itching to be thrust on the forefront, ego-clashes as well as determination to stall ceding of hard-earned grounds leads to bitter estrangement and eventual exit from the mother party much against the wishes of the majority. Of course, rudderless and uninspiring leadership bereft of rejuvenating the cadre hardly makes a palpable difference to stay in the reckoning.
- The Congress presently finds itself in a piquant situation where its erstwhile leaders have not only carved out a glittering entity amidst hustle and bustle of political manifestations after moving out but also reached certain levels which otherwise would have proved to be impossible by staying put in the mother party. Three of the Chief Ministers in Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam, N Rangaswamy of Puducherry, or for that matter Jagan Mohan Reddy of Andhra Pradesh are all products of the Grand Old Party but now stalwarts of their respective regional parties known for their political acumen and perseverance to lead. The Congress’s loss is the gain of regional parties who are on the ascendancy for long and in a position to dictate terms.
PC: Abhishek Shukla
- Make no mistake, the Congress is fast losing ground in many of the regions where it once ruled with an absolute majority. Notable gain has accrued to the Bharatiya Janata Party as well as it continues to gain strength in the crucial Hindi heartland areas as well as making a strong presence in the entire north-eastern belt. As you are aware, the BJP has a solid presence in Karnataka and making robust efforts to gain footholds in other southern states too. If Congress wishes to reclaim its erstwhile pan-India presence, the leadership change has to happen away from the Gandhi family first and foremost. There are enough old horses in the GOP to make headway on this front. Hope something concrete unfolds shortly!
