He has learnt “very good lessons” in Uttar Pradesh poll outcome
For the Congress, a possible recovery in Uttar Pradesh was at the centre of its plans for the 2014 general election: a substantially improved result could have reduced its dependence on undependable allies, such as the Trinamool Congress, and serve as a launch pad for its prime ministerial candidate Rahul Gandhi.
Following the advice of a top market research analyst, the party made Mr. Gandhi its star campaigner, who addressed more than 200 rallies, and put together a high-voltage publicity campaign.
In the end, the party, far from even doubling or trebling its numbers, added less than half-a-dozen new seats to its 2007 tally of 22, though it had entered into an alliance with Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in western Uttar Pradesh.
The first instinct of Congress leaders — whether it was Pradesh Congress Committee chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi or Congress general secretary in charge of the State Digvijay Singh or Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid — was to say that the party and organisation had failed Mr. Gandhi by not converting the goodwill he had created into votes.
Finally, shortly before 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Mr. Gandhi emerged from 10 Janpath, where he was conferring with his mother and party president Sonia Gandhi to end the spate of sycophantic statements. Looking composed, he congratulated Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh on his victory, before saying that he took the responsibility for the party's abysmal showing. He also promised the Uttar Pradesh people that he would continue to work in the State, “on the streets, in the villages and in the towns.” These elections, he said, had taught him some “very good lessons” — the Congress had fared poorly, he said, because it was “organisationally not where it should be” and because of the “mood for the Samajwadi Party.”
Party sources told The Hindu that while Mr. Gandhi's dignified response was to be applauded, till such time as he began to “implement a system of punishments” for patently bad advice he was not really going to move forward. If organisational weakness was acknowledged in the party as its biggest flaw, there were other mistakes too, they said.
For instance, in the last Assembly poll, the party gave ticket to many rebels or rejects from other parties. That project failed in 2007, as it did in 2012 when the same formula was adopted. Second, flying in the face of the image that the Congress was an umbrella party, one of Mr. Gandhi's senior advisers spun a theory that the party should focus on the non-Yadav Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to prevent them from consolidating around the Samajwadi Party. That strategy failed, especially as it was accompanied by the Centre's pre-election gambit to carve out a 4.5 per cent quota for religious minorities from the 27.5 per cent reservation for the OBCs. Hindu OBCs saw this as an effort to hive off a part of their share; the Muslims saw it as an empty poll promise.
During the elections too, the Congress' public declaration that it would not back the Samajwadi Party to form a government, followed by the disastrous announcement that if the party did not get a majority, President's rule would be imposed in the State, annoyed voters hugely, as this correspondent noticed.
For those who were looking forward to a SP-Congress-RLD government, this sounded like a betrayal: one even heard the stray remark more than once: “In that case, we will have to give the Samajwadi Party a majority.”
And then, as in the Hans Andersen tale, The Emperor's New Clothes, one leader, party sources said, assured Mr. Gandhi that the Brahmins of the eastern Uttar Pradesh were voting Congress, another that the Muslims were flocking to the party and yet another that Ms. Mayawati's Dalit base was crumbling and trickling back to where it once belonged. Halfway through the polling process, Mr. Gandhi realised that all was not well and sought to place in the public domain the fact that the Congress was not doing well, but, regardless of the results, he was in for a long haul. This is what he repeated on Tuesday once the import of the results became clear.
But while the verdict in Uttar Pradesh, as well as in the other four States, underscored the fact that Mr. Gandhi has no magic wand — and that may adversely affect his public image — it is unlikely to impact his position in the party. He remains the heir apparent, and whether he is projected as the party's prime ministerial candidate in 2014 will depend on the collective wisdom of the Gandhis — of Mr. Gandhi, his mother and sister. To those who say these results have made the position of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh more secure, party sources reply that Mr. Gandhi would not have replaced him mid-way, whatever be the results. And that Dr Singh will only become stronger the day he is able to implement his own policies.
Mr. Gandhi's future, entwined as it is with that of the Congress, will depend on whether he has learnt some lessons from these elections — as he said he had — and brings in some new advisers, those willing to tell him some painful truths about electoral politics.
Here is a political party (said to have pan-Indian presence) which can look to only one family in the country to provide a Prime Ministerial candidate. What is the political stature of the other leaders of the Congress party if none from the crowd of leaders other than the wife and of Rajiv Gandhi are the only people who fill the bill for the top post in the country? It is surprising that neither the media nor even opposition leaders are asking this question!
Making a hue and cry about all issues just when the election sets in is
not enough.People know about their problems. They need those who give
solutions and not those who lecture on their problems encore and make a
stint for a couple of days.
Rahul,
Many of us indians wish you well and hope to see you occupy the PM's chair when you are ready for it. Some advice would be to differentiate yourself from the other politicians. Going and eating at a dalits house is a good gimmick, but making a significant impact to the common people's livelyhood is better. I think that you should take up a ministry and show the people what you can do in that regard.
UP people have no other choice,Congress suffer coz of its very poor
leadership & Performance in center. inflation, Petrol price hike,Gigantic
scams are other reasons. People see AKHILESH as genuine leader. BJP has
lost its credibility,Communal cards are not applicable any more.We have
enough Musjids & temple.People look forward those who really look into
their problems,development of the state.Lets wish all the best for UP
people.Its a good trend
The Congress as an organization never yearned for the upliftment of the
masses. History is a witness to the fact that the party was always power
hungry. Hope they learn a lesson, leave their arrogance in their party
offices and then step out to work and not loot the people.
Congress Party should have true internal elections for its organisation. Gandhi family should act as an interim heads and make the party truly democratic party. This would enable the party to build up its grass roots organisation. What Rahul did in UP was Political-tourism; he went to UP for some months and expected common man to support him.
Once again, Indian democracy has shown its strength. They are not carried away by the 'King in the making' tag. It is the Congress sycophants who always 'makes' kings, Sonia Madam was carried away by their false assurances and her affection for her son. No one can deny that our common people are more educated and balanced than these pary bosses and their sycophants.
LONG LIVE INDIAN DEMOCRACY!
The strong point of the Congress Party has always been its inclusive
ideological umbrella under which the diversities, (religious, ethnic,
linguistic, caste etc.) of India can harmoniously co-exist without
being threatened by each other. Only Nehru had the courage of
conviction to publicly uphold, elaborate and defend it. The later
generations of party leadership have compromised it for short-term
electoral gains. Such short-term gains have weakened the Party in the
long-run. In the just concluded UP elections too compromises have been
made in this regard. The process of building a nation out of the
diversities of the sub-continent that we set in motion with
Independence is still unfinished. If this process is to continue and
succeed, and India is to emerge a strong nation the founding ideology
of the Congress has to be strengthened. Let this set-back in UP be an
occasion for the Congress Party to become aware of its founding
ideals.
The result of the UP election is an eye opener for the BSP, BJP and Congress. For BSP lesson is clear-building the statue is not enough to get the vote, you have to work in term of industrial development. Encourage the companies to invest in the state like Gujarat. For BJP - try to connect with the public without that nothing is possible.
And at the last for congress, you have to understand that people dislike the illogical and sycophant statements made by the Digvijay singh. Try to set some good example in front of the public as you have in the central government so make some good policies so that you can get the attention of public.
Many of the comments here indicate a subconscious will to keep the Congress party alive. Maybe it is time to let it die a natural death. What has it offered to India so far that it becomes precious to us? Let others come in, and may Rahul find a way to make himself more useful. Nothing is so sacred that it should live forever, and nothing should stop us from considering all alternatives.
Agree with Mr.Bibin Babu. Empower people not with empty promise. Dont play any caste/communal politics. It may look like a disater to begin with but defintely will help in long run.
Indian media has also lost together with Rahul. With their saturation coverage of Rahul I did not hear of Akhilesh until the victory. Did they back the wrong horse?
Poor Rahul is being hauled over the coals for no fault of his own.
Genes will tell. We all know that his mother was dragged into the
Congress mire because she was holding the key to all the loot showered
on her erstwhile husband for services to be rendered which ended in an
untimely manner. Take my advice Rahul, don the robe of wisdom and the
dark forest for the bright trees of sycophants. Depart for shores of
your making foe err long the SC is going to indict the thugs in tricolor angavastra for the nimble fingered exploitation of the public
treasury through games like the 2G scam, CWG scam and the likes to be
exposed in the future.
Digvijay Singh refused to comment when asked about what went wrong with Rahul and what did the trick for Akhilesh, stating that Rahul is a national symbol and that who on the face of this country knows Akhilesh Yadav. Well, Mr. Singh, you certainly have got your answer. Dynasty in politics is good if followed with a structured approach. The violent and bizarre comments that did the rounds in the rallies never actually ignited a spark in the local voters. They had known that keeping Muslims on top and sending pseudo messages will lead them to nowhere. Kudos for the women in the state who jumped up to 43% more than what turned out in 2007 for the elections. A huge turnout, illogical campaigning from Rahul himself and the motive to throw Ms. Mayawati out of her throne, led to what we see as a major change in the Indian politics today. So, Mr. Rahul, it would be much better for you as well as the party if things are taken more effectively towards the root causes of defeat
the congress party is in terminal decline. only if it reverts to being a mass-based party with local leadership in every state can it survive. as a monarchical party it will wither away in less than a decade. what india needs is a centrist party which will replace the congress when it collapses. any signs on the horizon?
Congress suffers from lack of organisation in UP. Even though Rahul
Gandhi spent a lot of time this time, but the goodwill and positive
media coverage could not translate into votes. Votes went to SP, as it
was the only party to oust the incumbent BSP government. Probably Rahul
Gandhi can spent a lot more time in UP & work for further improvement of
party infrastructure, as a national party can't dream of getting power
in centre without doing reasonably well in UP which sends 80 MP's to
parliament.
The results of UP and other states throws some lessons for the
politicians to learn and reform. With visible media, any gimmick would
not work even in the remotest villages. Tall promises such as
exclusive reservation to Muslims cannot dupe the targetted group as
they know what is possible. Projecting leaders with no roots at ground
level will not attract votes. Corruption such as 2G is pan india and
Congress cannot shy away from its responsibility in abetting the
crime. Common Indian especially youth fully aware and realised value
of voting and present and future politicians should take note and
start respecting them. Lest they are the losers.
Mr. Gandhi, as a responsible citizen and as someone who likes to see people like you come to power to lead the country to its glorious future,I would like to add a few words to the above comments. Improve your ground work. Stick on to your words. If you need inclusive governance, use the Central Governemnt to show what you mean by that. If you need equality, stop seeing people on the basis of caste and relegion. People in UP, including those in your constituency, lives the lowest form of life in India. What have you given back to them despite hollow promises? You form an institution, something like the "Kudumbasree" and "Janasree" in Kerala. Or you may work together with the different genuine NGOs in the country. If you really mean the upliftment of the society, coordinate with the different levels in the society, have a Grievance Addressal Cell to address the people. Use the youth to form a movement to educate the people on literacy, sanitation and such.Be with us to be one among us!
It should be Rahul Gandhi's ability to judge what advises to take and
which ones to reject. But he really seems too immature and incapable of
being a leader. The picture of this article aptly suggests his attitude
and abilities. About 4 years ago we had great expectations from him ,
but he failed miserably. I do not think he should get another chance.
The risks are too high for a 125year old party.
"brings in some new advisers, those willing to tell him some painful
truths about electoral politics" well said provided Queen's son is
willing to listen. wake up! else Andhra as well as Karnataka will become
replica of U.P down Vindhyas ,if they have not become already! ..
My advice to Rahul. Remove Digvijay from the post of General Secretary. He epitomoies the sychopancy in the party. People like Digvijay are deadweights pulling the party and the leader down. Any other leader who says that Rahul is not responsible for the performance of the Congress should be stood down. Sychopants blind the reality to the leaders.
Communication revolution of 24X7 saturation level of visual media
coverage laid bare the fact to the lowest level of the population
the real ugly face of Congress. The party leadership never really
cared for people welfare and not a day went by without one mega scam
or the other of astounding proportions seemingly involving the very
top of the party hierarchy. Pack of too clever lawyers as spokesman addressing common man problem as though in court of law made thing
even worse. Looks like coming general election may see party getting
no more than double digit returns as pay back for the arrogance and
total lack of imagination of the top Congressmen like Digvijay
Singh, Kapil Sibal and Chidambaram.
Rahul Gandhi has been in politics for over 7 years and has the advantage of being in the governing council of the Party from day one . Advisors may give advice but it is up to Rahul to use his judgement based on experience and intelligence. If as you have suggested , he has allowed himself to be led by his nose even after intensive personal tours of the state and interactions with the Kalawathis and Bhatta Parsul, it is a poor reflection on his ability to grasp , communicate and implement. I live in Sydney and the foreign press seem to have a better evaluation/assessment of Rahuls intelligence than the Indian press. I rate Akhilesh Yadav streets ahead ; his response after the resounding victory was measured and mature .I think he is PM material !!
Gandhi family made so many mistakes like this since 2009. Immediately after YSR's death in 2009 in AP. They didn't bother to consolidate YSR family and take them into consideration on the assumption that Congress came to power on Gandhi magic. They replaced Rosaiah with Kiran Kumar soley to put check Jagan on caste equation. He turned out to be faring worse than Rosaiah in terms of relating to People. Yet another mistake is inviting Chiranjeevi assuming another caste equation for 2014 elections. Chiranjeevi neither seems to have the capability to garner votes nor interested in the first place. This coming by elections will turn out to be more trouble in waiting for Congress and the country in the form failed economic reforms
U.P. elections showed us couple of interesting things: 1) Just like Ram Janmabhumi doesn't appeal hindus to vote for BJP, muslim reservation doesn't appeal muslims to vote for Congress. People want to vote for one who shows willingness to bring growth and development. 2) Rahul Gandhi enjoyed at least 4 times more coverage than Akhilesh Yadav but that didn't help RG really. This may mean that higher coverage in media is not always going to translate to votes. As far as Rahul Gandhi's future is concerned, I see no reason why he should worry about position of party president. We saw when Gandhi family stepped out, Congressmen came on verge of extinction due to internal fighting. The party is held together because they have common master to serve, as soon as the master is gone, they know they will end up fighting internally and soon party won't even exist.
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