Simultaneously, the atrocities against the Dalits in Gujarat and the all out Dalit anger against the Uttar Pradesh BJP leader’s nasty remarks against the BSP supremo Mayawati have led to such Dalit anger that its impact will be felt in both UP and Gujarat assembly elections. UP poll in 2017 is crucial for the BJP for its political future and indications so far suggest that the BJP is still groping for a viable strategy. This is the time when the Congress leadership has to assert aggressively and go all out to unite the forces who are against the saffron ideology. The Congress has to galvanise its supporters to concrete actions bringing them out of temporary demoralization following the assembly elections outcome in May this year.

In fact, the peoples’ mandate for the assembly elections to the four states does not provide the right ambience for the BJP to become quite euphoric. Barring Assam, the saffron outfit miserably failed to perform in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu or Kerala. In Bengal its stakes were quite high and intense. It had used all the machination to entice the voters. Similar was the case in Kerala. In Bengal it had to be content with three seats and it could get one in Kerala. In Tamil Nadu it drew blank.

BJP leadership cannot claim the credit for its victory in Assam. No doubt misrule of Tarun Gogoi helped the BJP to consolidate its position in the state, it was the alliance with the AGP that catapulted it as the ruling party. BJP’s fervent attempt to communalise the Bengali society by using ABVP lies shattered in the campus of Jadavpur University.

In Kerala it failed to make any headway. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS bosses had desperately tried to fan out communal sentiments in the state. But their mechanism failed. The people of the state remained committed to the secular forces. Historically the people of the state have been divided between the Left and Congress. This time too they continued with the traditional politics and voted for the Marxists. They eventually foiled the attempt of the BJP to put its foot in the state.

In Bengal the left parties and Congress went to the polls under an alliance. No doubt Mamata Banerjee’s TMC improved its performance. The Congress too increased its tally from 42 to 44. The CPI(M) has not performed quite convincingly. But the people of the state refrained from reposing their trust in the BJP. Modi addressing eight election rallies in Bengal underscores the importance of the elections for the party and Modi. The BJP spent crores of money in the Bengal elections. The ads run by the party on TV channels try to send the message that it was the only party which could provide good governance. But the did not believe it.

It is absolutely clear that the BJP has to be content with what it has got during the last couple of years. Though Narendra Modi had given the call for Congress Mukta Bharat (India free of Congress) the latest developments make it explicit that his call has failed to impress upon the common Indian. The implication of his call was obvious: he wanted to eliminate the secular forces. But his idea has not been subscribed by the people.

Nevertheless the elections to the state assemblies make it abundantly clear that the common people continue to repose their faith in secular forces. As in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when the people registered their protest against Congress by voting Modi, in latest assembly elections by ensuring victory of the secular forces they have sent a clear message that they dislike the policies and actions of Modi. This also underlined that BJP notwithstanding its strident criticism of Congress and secular forces cannot end their dominance. It is also a wrong notion that the BJP will alter the political scenario and social composition. Excepting Assam the BJP has utterly failed to arouse the communal passion.

But this is not the reason for the Congress to cheer. The Congress has yet to erase its negative image from the minds of the common people, especially the urban middle class, which has been expecting a miracle turn around in their social and economic life. The failure of the Modi government to create job opportunities, as promised by Modi himself, has turned this section skeptical. The lastest survey by the Labour Bureau showed that India has never created so few jobs, since the survey started in 2009: In 2015 only 1.35 lakh jobs compared to more than nine lakh in 2011 and 4.19 lakh in 2013 in eight labour-intensive industries. The Indian economy today needs to generate 115 million non-farm jobs over the next decade to gainfully employ its workforce.

Rahul Gandhi has apparently been striving hard but it would be naive to believe that Congress will make a turn around and revive too soon. He is yet to be taken seriously by the people. He has been trying to establish personal contacts with the rural people, but his endeavour is simply amateurish in nature and content, especially in the prevailing political scenario.

The Congress is still vulnerable and needs a sound and rational political approach to the issues. There is no guarantee that the people rallying behind the Congress in the current backdrop will not be carried away by the gimmicks and utterances of Modi in future. Survival quotient for the BJP is quite high and it would go to any extent to achieve it.

Some leaders have started clamouring for drafting Priyanka Gandhi. No doubt she is has an appeal. Her taking charge may brighten the prospect of the Congress, especially in Uttar Pradesh, but it is yet not certain what impact it will have on other states. It is an open secret the Nehru family symbolizes the Congress. In the past many Congress stalwarts made desperate attempts to float separate parties, but they failed to have any impact at the ground level. Eventually they had to windup their parties and rejoin the Congress. True enough more than symbolizing the Congress, the Nehru family represents the centrist forces and liberal politics. The Congress is a platform for the centrist and liberal forces.

While giving the call for Congress Mukta Bharat, Modi could not comprehend the relevance of Nehruvian politics. Till Indian polity continues to be liberal and centrist, Congress could not be wiped out of the country. India cannot become Congress Mukta. The Congress leadership must have an objective view and ensure that keeping this spirit intact a new kind of leadership takes charge of the party. The 2014 defeat has pushed the Congress to a situation where the relevance and identify of the party has been endangered. The Congress will have to define its priorities. The main reason for Congress losing the 2014 Lok Sabha election was the sad incident of Rahul Gandhi tearing the ordinance document. This was perceived as questioning the authority of the government and ethos of liberal politics. This incident made the people to look other way. The Congress has to define its political and ideological approach and offer hands of cooperation to the regional parties who are opposed to the BJP. (IPA Service)