Sonia Gandhi’s combative posture in the session is despite the fact that the plenary was held in the shadow of multi-crore scams like the 2G spectrum, Commonwealth Games and Adarsh society scam. In the public perception the image of the government is going down fast hit by the scams. The prices of essential commodities are beyond the reach of the common man. In such a situation instead of listing the achievements of the UPA government in the session, it ended up in opposition- bashing and a tirade against corruption and communalism.

Did the Congress introspect why the party was so strong earlier? After independence the party enjoyed tremendous good will. The stalwarts who participated in the freedom struggle were able to deliver in the States. The Congress was seen as an umbrella party and shared power with workers.

However, over the years, the Congress lost the connection with the people. As Rahul Gandhi often points out those who join the party today are from influential political families mostly for their own advancement. It is an uphill task for an ordinary worker to go up the ladder without a Godfather. The party has become Delhi-centric and leaves everything including choosing the chief ministers or the CWC members to the leadership often with a one-line resolution. The last CWC elections were held in Kolkata in 1997. The Parliamentary Board is dispensed with. The core committee consisting of half a dozen leaders decides all issues. Gone are the days of the party supremacy as it has now become minister-centric. The worker-leader disconnect is growing as money power plays a big role. Accessibility still remains the biggest problem. Sonia Gandhi no doubt has addressed this issue but reaching her or Rahul Gandhi is even more difficult.

Secondly, unable to meet the aspirations of the people over the years, the Congress lost its relevance-giving rise to parties based on caste and religion. Instead of gaining back the lost influence the party is forced to join hands with these regional outfits to gain power. The Congress is also confused about dealing with the majority community while taking care of the minorities. Rahul Gandhi’s “ekla chalo” strategy did not work in Bihar but the leadership should find ways of establishing supremacy.

Thirdly, to the horror of the Congress, alternative coalitions led by the BJP or the third front has ruled the country earlier. Although the opposition is weak and even the BJP today is bereft of strong leadership, the Congress cannot remain complacent.
The challenge to the leadership is how to take the Congress closer to the people, to remain relevant to a generation, which has not seen the freedom struggle and to bring back the single party rule. It has to identify its political opponents and go about in a methodical manner to deal with them. There is no indication to this effect from the session.

Instead, the Congress took an easy way out by resorting to BJP and opposition bashing and corruption.

No doubt Mrs. Gandhi came up with a laudable four- point programme to deal with corruption but not a word was mentioned in her speech about the 2G scam, Commonwealth scam or the Adarsh society scandal — all pertaining to her own party.

Another clever strategy was using the Prime Minister’s clean image as a shield against the scams although the opposition does not doubt the personal integrity of the PM. The question is about accountability and why the PM failed to take action against erring ministers and stop the perceived loss to the exchequer. Singh’s offer of submitting himself before the PAC came as a surprise but seen as too little too late. Unless the Prime minister personally intervenes to end the impasse, the budget session is going to have the same fate like the winter session. The Congress has asked the government to investigate the links between terrorists and the RSS and its sister organizations. It is because the Congress knows that the RSS is the real power and the BJP has no cadre of its own.

Fourthly, the resolution has kept the window open for future alliances with the regional parties. While it was hard on the BJP, it was soft against parties like the Biju Janata dal, JD (U) and Telugu Desam as also the AIADMK and the JD (S).

Normally every plenary session gives a direction to the party and the Burari message is to fight corruption and communalism. Sonia Gandhi’s directive to reach the villages is appreciated by the workers but it is the implementation of these orders, which will bring back its health. After all the next plenary will not be before 2015, as the party has just extended the term of the president to five years from three years and also to hold AICC at least once a year instead of twice a year.

The road ahead is rough and as Sonia Gandhi said there is no magic wand to make things easy. Her message was blunt and clear that only hard work will lift the party pays dividend in the next year’s Assembly elections and the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress has several advantages being the Grand Old party and a strong leader and only by involving the workers it can go forward. (IPA Service)