By the beginning of September DMK leader Udayanidhi Stalin remarks on “Sanatan Dharm” triggered a major outrage and handed over a political tool in the hands of BJP just weeks ahead of the election in the five states. PM Modi and the BJP picked the issue up to label Congress hand in glove with the forces inimical to Hindus who, according to them wanted to destroy Hindutva. They went on quoting Udhayanidhi’s remark that “Sanatan Dharma” should be eradicated equating it with “mosquitoes, Dengue, Malaria, fever, and Corona.” Though Congress distanced itself from Udhayanidhi’s remarks it could not successfully defend itself in the electoral battlefield.

PM Modi further carried it to its extreme level during Rajasthan election, where he referenced Muslim appeasement by Congress and reminded the people how such an appeasement policy led to killing of gruesome killing of a Hindu tailor who was killed by two Muslim assailants. Though the case is being investigated by NIA under the Union Government, ruling Congress government in Rajasthan was projected guilty. CM Gehlot, though pointed it out that the case is not with the state, Congress failed to drive home the point among the electorate that such incidents were result of the ‘politics of hate’ of the BJP and not the result of appeasement policy as alleged by PM Narendra Modi.

Communal tools for election campaigns were unwittingly handed over to the BJP and its leaders by not only INDIA alliance partners but also the Congress leaders, who were seen making statements that indirectly helped BJP in their Hindutva campaigns. They were busy in showing that they were not against Hindu’s or Sanatan, but miserably failed in exposing the communal draconian face of the BJP, that has nothing to do with Hinduism in real sense of the term.

Congress leaders were heard talking even disrespectfully about the INDIA alliance partners, such as revealed in the statement of Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh, who said “Akhilesh Wakhilesh Chhoro”. Not only that, opposition political parties contested in large number of seats, which was advantage BJP due to division of anti-BJP votes. Additionally, it handed over a weapon to the BJP to drive home the point to the electorate that opposition was not at all united. The result now shows that Congress calculation was wrong that they could will election on their own without sharing seats with the opposition parties in the INDIA alliance.

The ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan chiefly depended on their welfare schemes and social development, but could not protect the gains on account of shortcomings in governance, which was exploited by the BJP labeling large scale corruption. Slowly, a sentiment of anti-incumbency grew despite their initial popularity. Congress leaders in both the states were not united and hence could not defend their own government during campaigns. The internal rifts had vertically and horizontally weakened the Congress organization and hence they failed to derive mileage from the party’s initial popularity.

It should be noted that Congress leader T S Singh Deo of Chhattisgarh had even praised the centre at a public function, which showed his difference with CM Bhupesh Baghel. Even CM Baghel and the state party chief Mohan Markam were not working in coordination with each other. In Rajasthan, the patch up between CM Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot came too late. Despite truce between them, lack of coordination during the election campaign persisted.

Tribals in Chhattisgarh were dissatisfied with the Bhupesh Baghel government over land rights and displacement. BJP was successful in labelling corruption charges just three days before the first phase of election when ED said that CM Baghel was given Rs508 crore by developers of Mahadev betting app, though the person through whom it was alleged to have given has now said that he never gave him money. ED also made raids against Congress leaders in Rajasthan, and the BJP labelled the CM Gehlot led government corrupt. Congress had undergone very hard times in defending their governments.

In Chhattisgarh, BJP has come back, after a 5 year gap in the last two decades, while in Rajasthan, as the tradition of the state in the last three decades shows, the electorate has just changed their ruling government. Congress was hoping that they would break this tradition in Rajasthan this time due to their pro-people policies, but the voters kept their tradition of alternating their governments between the Congress and the BJP. Despite their commendable social development and welfare schemes, the Congress just could not showcase their achievements effectively, due to lack of coordination between the various factions.

If we look closer into the election results in Rajasthan, we see that Congress was able to get 39.5 per cent of votes as against BJP’s 41.7 per cent. Only a little better coordination among the warring Congress factions, and seat sharing among INDIA alliance partners could have delivered results in Congress’s favour. Similar is the case for Chhattisgarh, where Congress bagged 42.2 per cent of votes as against BJP’s 46.3 per cent. Disunity in Congress, and in INDIA alliance, proved too costly for Congress. There is no denying the fact that Hindutva and Modi factors had contributed in BJP’s win, but it was only effective when there was severe infighting in Congress and political parties in the opposition camp had secured division of anti-BJP votes. The very thin margin of win proves this point. Unity is therefore the underlying lesson for the Congress and INDIA alliance. (IPA Service)