How INDIA bloc members will benefit from Congress election defeats in Hindi heartland – Firstpost

Congress’ misery doesn’t stop. After losing three of the four states that went to the polls on Sunday (December 3) – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh – the Congress’s allies within the INDIA alliance bloc pulled out the knife, putting the party in a precarious position.

After the defeat in the polls – even though the Congress managed to come to power in Telangana – the alliance partners pointed fingers at the Grand Old Party, which is not a good sign for the alliance in recent months only before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are held.

In fact, as the Congress saw its losses in the polls, it called a meeting of the bloc on December 6. The last time the alliance met was in Mumbai in early September.

We take a closer look at how Congressional losses were suffered by members of the INDIA bloc and how these outcomes could prove more beneficial to the alliance’s smaller regional components.

The Indian bloc on the defeat of the Congress

Congress’s footprint in the political landscape was significantly reduced after Sunday’s results. The Grand Old Party is now in power in only three states – thanks to Telangana – including only one in the north, Himachal Pradesh.

The last time the Congress was in power in a single Hindi-speaking state was in 1998, when Sonia Gandhi took over as party president. The party was then in power in three states: Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Mizoram.

This situation has not only disrupted the party and its leadership but also the members of the INDIA alliance.

Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United (JDU) was one of the first to attack the Congress after the electoral defeats, saying it was clear that the main opposition party was incapable of winning on its own. JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi said the results of the Assembly polls in the three states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan constitute a defeat for the Congress and a victory for the BJP, noting that the opposition bloc INDIA was absent in the elections.

He would have declared NDTV“It is now clear that the Congress cannot put up a good fight against the BJP. The INDIA alliance was nowhere in the race.”

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha added, “Leaders like our national president Lalu Prasad and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar have recognized that among all INDIA coalition partners, the Congress has the largest footprint. But now the ball is in Congress’s court. He must understand that the hubris of Narendra Modi cannot be fought with hubris.”

“I am sure the Congress will realize that the BJP’s self-centered politics can only be defeated through collectivism. In the days to come, much better coordination within INDIA may be visible for all to see.

Sanjay Raut of the Shiva Sena, a member of the INDIA alliance, was also of the view that the results would have been different, especially in Madhya Pradesh, if the Congress had shared its seats with its allies. “Congress should review its view of allies,” he said, adding that it was Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath who opposed sharing seats with the Samajwadi Party.

National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah took a more critical view on the results. He told reporters: “Judging from the results of the Indian alliance in the national elections, if the situation remains the same in the future, we will not be able to win. »

He also reacted to Congress’s call for an INDIA bloc meeting: “It’s good that they remember it again after three months.” »

Perhaps the most scathing reactions came from the Trinamool Congress. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the Congress’s losses were “more of a failure of the Congress than a success of the BJP”. He said in a social media post: “The TMC is the party that can provide leadership in the battle to defeat the BJP in the country. »

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, also criticized the Congress, saying it had more governments in north India than the Grand Old Party. AAP leader Jasmine Shah posted: “After today’s results, @AamAadmiParty emerges as the largest opposition party in North India with 2 state governments: Punjab and Delhi . »

However, the AAP clarified that the results in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh did not reflect the national mood, pointing out that the Congress had won Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in 2018, but the BJP had won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Defeat of Congress, victory of the allies

The Congress’ defeats on Sunday now place the party in a very difficult situation. His earlier claim that it was the only party capable of putting up a head-to-head fight against the BJP is now discredited.

This gives regional parties such as the TMC, AAP and JD(U), which are the main constituents of the INDIA bloc, more space to bargain for seats for the 2024 elections. As News18 In other words, the INDIA front will no longer be willing to give the Congress the stature of a ‘big brother’. So when seat-sharing negotiations begin, Congress may be forced to go soft. In particular, it will be interesting to see how the TMC, AAP and SP will deal with the Congress regarding seat sharing for the 2024 elections.

It would not be surprising if the INDIA bloc sees different equations when it comes to seat sharing, as allies will become more demanding.

The parties are already playing hardball with Congress, which has called a meeting on December 6. There are reports that TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee may not attend the December 6 meeting. “We have pleaded with Congress to convene a meeting of the INDIA alliance. They blocked all activities and we lost momentum. Now that they’ve called a meeting, why? a manager reportedly declared to Indian Express.

Additionally, Congress has lost credibility with voters – a sentiment that other parties will capitalize on. They could argue that their alliance with the Congress could harm them and that is why the Grand Old Party should be pushed to second place in the alliances.

The results also pave the way for the emergence of a new national leader. Allies could argue that the Congress leadership has lost its grip on voters and that, therefore, a face that has been able to fight better against the BJP – like Mamata Banerjee or Arvind Kejriwal – should be the driving force behind it. alliance at that time. big.

Besides, the Congress’s push to push Rahul Gandhi to become Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s biggest rival will also take a hit.

“This will not harm the INDIA bloc”

But while many in the Indian alliance were firing shots and targeting the Congress after their poor performance in the Hindi heartland, Sharad Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had a different view.

He told reporters: “I don’t think it will have any impact on the INDIA alliance. We will meet at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in Delhi. We will speak to those who know the reality on the ground. We will only be able to comment on this after the meeting.

Marxist General Secretary of the Communist Party of India Sitaram Yechury said: “These election results underline the need for secular forces to redouble their efforts to defend the livelihood of the people and the secular and democratic character of the Indian republic. »

We will have to wait until December 6 to see how the equations have changed within the INDIA alliance, but one thing is certain. The Congress, with its diminished influence, will likely lose more than it gains if it gives in to the demands of the smaller parties in the alliance.

With the contribution of agencies