Tuesday, June 17, 2014

The choice before Congress

The GOP has seen ups and downs in six decades. In the 2014 LS election, one in three voted for BJP and one in five for Congress.  BJP and Congress together could garner just over 50% , others  collected the rest. BJP got majority at the lowest vote share ever, given our strange incompatibility between seats and vote share .BJP is expanding into hitherto seat barren states even as Congress is receding . Without regional allies Congress can not climb back to substantial clout in next five / ten years.Leadership for the Congress thus would need to operate on two planes- one for keeping the central core together and the other which is state centred .The latter needs to patiently cultivate the electorate as also other regional political entities. .A state Congress  leader has to be of great mettle. Given its overbearing central leadership thus far, the Congress has an uphill task on this score.But there is no alternative.
         Congress can also look at the brighter side.  BJP  may find it a tall order to run a diverse nation on the strength of improved governance alone.A growth led economy will take time to  stabilise and changing factors of global economics would provide  room for errors..Congress era welfare schemes will have their place. BJP would be averse to go against its ingrained tenet of laissez faire that detests subsidies and as  people  battle a widening  socio- economic divide, the Congress will be fondly  remembered .

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