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Congress: Hopes and Home Truths
There is elation in the Congress camp following the assembly elections that belie the need for urgent introspection within and without. The Congress is yet to begin adjusting to the realities of a multipolar polity in which their leader does not naturally gravitate to power. In an as yet evolving, amorphous situation, the Congress's role may yet be a critical one.
In the wake of the assembly election results, the Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi led the chorus acclaiming the leadership qualities of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. There is, indeed, cause for partisan celebration. But to read into the results a national revival would be premature if not misleading.
The scale of the UDF victory in Kerala and the party’s return to power in Assam were seen as heralding a national revival of its fortunes. By choosing the right ally in Tamil Nadu, the Congress has re-established its presence in the assembly where it did not have a single MLA in 1996. There is serious talk of a merger with the G K Moopanar-led Tamil Mannila Congress. Despite the poor showing in West Bengal, the relations of Mamata Banerjee and the ruling NDA are embittered enough to cheer Congress ranks.
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