The Congress rout in Uttar Pradesh and deep into the pocket boroughs of the Gandhi family signals the common aspiration for change. Political scientists believe that the Indian polity is a fast learning entity and that democracy is indeed deepening in this country. Predicting the polls (exit polls) was a tough call even for political experts. The Samajwadi Party surprised itself with an overwhelming win. What was the reason for the Congress party’s failure to consolidate its vote bank not only in UP but in Uttarakhand, Punjab and Goa? There is no simple or straight answer to this question but one significant point is this: The Indian voter today values his democratic rights but the Congress party is a highly undemocratic structure entrenched in a High Command which rules from Delhi with an iron hand. Chief ministers of Congress ruled states in India’s North East have always had to ply with the High Command and win the trust of Sonia Gandhi before they could get their blessings to sit on the chief ministerial chair.
Most chief ministers are unhappy with this central control as it defies the very notion of autonomy and the tenets of democracy where decisions are to be taken by popular vote, not by one single powerful individual residing at a particular address in New Delhi. Any party with a high command cannot also expect to have a democratic structure that is cadre based. The Congress party in UP did not have grassroots following. Similarly, the Congress party in Meghalaya too has very little connection with the people. There is a Pradesh Congress but the Blocks and Primary Units are peopled by those who support the party because of what they can get from it and the perks that those extra-constitutional posts carry. It will be hard to find a die-hard Congressman/woman today. The question uppermost in every camp follower’s mind is, “What’s in it for me?” With such a mindset it becomes perplexing for the party to keep everyone happy. Yet the Congress party is so detached from the real people that it has to depend on these middle-men and women. There was a time when the party connected with grass-roots voters directly. MLAs/ministers were accessible to the people. Today there are ministers in the MUA Government who instruct their guards at the gate not to allow any person entry into their residence and office. This disconnect is bound to take a toll in the 2013 elections. Dr Mukul Sangma as the team leader in the present Government has too much on his plate and cannot be expected to help out his laggard colleagues. The Pradesh Congress chief is no longer in a position to lead from the front as he is home bound. If at all the Congress does well in Meghalaya it will only be because the alternatives have not emerged and the regional parties are themselves fragmented and disorganised. It’s a dismal choice for the voters!