Mumbai
Back to Square One
The dismal performance of the Indian National Congress in Maharashtra’s state elections underscores the party’s inability to connect with voters and offer a viable alternative to the BJP.
The Indian National Congress outperformed expectations in the 2024 General Elections, securing 99 seats alone and 234 seats through the INDIA coalition, effectively snatching the absolute majority from within the BJP’s grasp. Political analysts within India and without hailed it as the grand old party’s much-awaited comeback. Election results were seen as a prelude to further glories to come. Congress was back in business, and nothing and no one could stop it. The jubilation, though, proved to be short-lived.
Only a few months later, in November 2024, Congress suffered a humiliating defeat in the Maharashtra assembly polls. BJP’s Maha Yuti alliance won 235 out of 288 seats in an election with record voter turnout. The Congress-aligned Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA) could not secure enough seats even to form an opposition in a state seen as a key vote bank.
The Maharashtra debacle has brought Congress back to square one. The party’s spectacular performance in the general elections had cornered the BJP. Losing Maharashtra would have disrupted the status quo and allowed Congress to ride its winning momentum into further states.
Unfortunately, Congress-aligned MVA’s dismal performance shattered all hopes of a nationwide resurgence and reversed progress made in the recent general elections.
From day one, Maha Yuti engaged with disenchanted voters to counter their anti-incumbency sentiment. Rather than cashing in on it, the Congress remained surprisingly passive, failing to craft a compelling narrative that could strengthen its campaign. In contrast, the BJP wove together various socio-economic issues and topped them with a touch of Hindutva. MVA’s campaign was sluggish, unclear, and rarely connected with voters.
The Maharashtra elections also served as a referendum on Rahul Gandhi’s persistent polls pitch since the general elections—saving democracy and the constitution. Unfortunately, the Maharashtra electorate didn’t buy it. Efforts to rally voters behind a strong push for a caste census also fell flat. Meanwhile, the BJP and its mentor, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), effectively advanced their narratives of unity (Ek hain to safe hain) and deprived Congress of even a fraction of ideological triumph.
Maharashtra polls brought another setback for the Congress and its ally, Uddhav Thackeray, who tried to use Gautam Adani as an electoral plank. The attempt to frame a narrative around an assumed association between Modi and Adani backfired. Similarly, the effort to stoke a Maharashtra-Gujarat divide did not resonate.
Maharashtra poll results highlight a stark contrast in strategy and execution between the Indian National Congress and the BJP. While the Congress still seems to be grappling with its electoral loss, the BJP’s proactive approach and impeccable election management are evident. The BJP identified its own shortcomings and devised plans to address them. The Congress was sluggish and overconfident. It had no election strategy and failed to devise one when faced with the BJP onslaught.
Congress contested more than a hundred seats, yet its top leadership remained aloof, only occasionally holding rallies. The leadership seemed more interested in winning Waynad, where Priyanka was making her electoral debut. In fact, if Priyanka were deployed in Maharashtra, she would have been able to woo the female vote bank—an important segment that played a pivotal role in the BJP’s spectacular win.
The Congress party’s overdependence on an anti-Modi campaign strategy remains its biggest weakness.
The Congress party’s dismal performance in Maharashtra underscores its inability to connect with voters and offer a viable alternative to the BJP. In order to reclaim relevance, the party must identify its voters’ concerns and devise strategies to address them. Employment, welfare and development are issues that always resonate with the electorate.
Another critical challenge for the Congress comes from its leadership, which is currently plagued with discord, dissent and factionalism, weakening its nation-wide standing and position. The Gandhi family enjoys a coveted position in party leadership while nominated office-bearers occupy the second tier. Maharashtra’s defeat has laid bare the limits of this arrangement when it comes to competitive electoral politics. The Gandhi name is still an asset. However, it can only get them so far. The party desperately needs young and charismatic state-level leaders if it seeks to take on a tough and robust BJP. Relying on Rahul Gandhi alone is no longer a viable strategy. Congress must seek out and promote credible local faces in all constituencies.
The Congress party’s overdependence on an anti-Modi campaign strategy remains its biggest weakness. The grand old party fails to recognize that Modi still commands immense popular appeal owing to his personal charisma, popularity and track record. Personal attacks on the incumbent prime minister often backfire and favour the BJP. The Maharashtra elections should serve as an eye-opener, where anti-Modi rhetoric pushed swing voters away from the Congress.
A positive vision always performs better than a negative campaign. Rather than hurling criticism after criticism, Congress must offer solutions. The strategy should focus on voters’ aspirations rather than their fears.
In the final analysis, it can be stated that the Congress-led alliance sought easy fixes rather than making concerted efforts to counter the combined appeal of the BJP and the RSS. Election management was grossly neglected. Where RSS workers called and convinced every voter on the voters’ list, organized polling committees, and remained active throughout the election, Congress cadres were lost and adrift, with nowhere to go and no one to seek advice from.
Assembly elections are all about local issues. Congress must understand the time for national-level Modi opposition is over. Now, the party needs to dive deep into each state and offer grassroots solutions to specific local issues. Unless Congress realizes this, it will continue to lose further assembly elections and, perhaps, the next general election as well.
The writer is a freelancer and an investment banker based in Karachi. He can be reached at syedatifshamim@hotmail.com
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