The Congress Working Committee has skilfully skirted the Party’s existential crisis by shifting focus to the Covid19 pandemic and also stressing that the first priority is to fight the pandemic and save lives. So, what could wait first and foremost are the organisational elections — which were to be completed by June end with the selection of a new president — the CWC has surmised. The meeting fired fresh salvos at the Modi government for its failure to check the Covid spread and taking it to deadly levels in the second wave of the pandemic. This is understandable and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is himself on the defensive about the way things have spiralled out of control.
The BJP-led government and the PM himself have lost a good part of their credibility if social media offensives from the hoi polloi are any indication. Clearly, the CWC sees an opportunity in this, alongside the unimpressive showing the saffron party had in this round of assembly polls overall. Time now for the Congress to latch on to Covid19, turn the people’s anger against the government to its advantage and prepare the ground for a big fight at the 2024 hustings as also for the polls to assemblies like Uttar Pradesh. But 2024 is still a long way ahead and Modi the master juggler can be trusted to come up with new tricks from inside his sleeves as he did via Balakot shortly before 2019.
The polls for five assemblies showed the Congress running for cover in four and making marginal gains in Tamil Nadu where the DMK avoided giving it a share in the new power edifice. The CWC set up committees to fix responsibilities for the defeat in all these provinces, including the unexpected drubbing in Kerala, the decimation despite a tie-up with the CPIM in Bengal, the loss of Puducherry and the continued oblivion in Assam. The campaigning by the Rahul-Priyanka duo did not help turn the tide to the party’s advantage. As of now, if organisational polls are held, a question is with what face can either of the two heirs-apparent claim the right to head the Congress party as was possibly aimed at as a fitting finale.Organisational elections could have given the much-needed boost to the sinking morale of the Congress party pan India. If the seasoned grand old party further loses its foothold and if the present adverse trend is not arrested, the more corrupt and unscrupulous regional dynasts will rule the roost. India will then be up for grabs.
