Congress must change strategies to be back in the national reckoning

Every party needs proper leadership. Voters must have faith in the party’s leader — and that is what happened in Bihar: the voters’ trust in Nitish Kumar, matched by their confidence in the national leader Narendra Modi, was decisive. In contrast, the Mahagathbandhan suffered from weak leadership and a lack of trust in Rahul Gandhi and other leaders. The Congress party’s by-election win in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills, especially after their heavy defeat in Bihar, has given them a much-needed boost.

 Election results in India have rarely been wrong! Survey polls are the ones that have been dramatically off in some elections, causing unnecessary doubts among people before the results are declared. This time the people of the country did not get it wrong—and neither did the survey polls. Looking at the nature of by-elections held across the country, including Bihar, one thing became clear: however the inducements political parties offer and their attempts to bribe, voters have the last laugh and deliver the outcome that they have decided upon. This is a mirror showing how resilient our democracy is in this country.

What more evidence is needed to prove how stable the future of our democracy is? The fact is that mistakes by rulers, opposition parties and the public sometimes give rise to doubts. Seven decades back when the country took its place in the world as an independent nation, elections were held cleanly and people believed the voters were honest. That image has changed now. The reason can be traced to the erosion of values among political leaders. Service has been replaced by self-interest.

Every party’s priority is to win elections. Using the language of service, they seek power and the money that comes with it. Saying that every party’s leaders behave this way would be an overstatement. But because many leaders brazenly display such behaviours, voters—imitating that performance and adopting the life truth “why bother with money?”—succumb to all sorts of temptations without hesitation. Yet in elections, as if echoing the proverb “so long as it’s somewhere good…,” voters reveal their true selves and indirectly teach a lesson to the leaders.

This election season, especially in places outside Bihar, it is important to set aside the impressive statistics of the NDA’s victories and clearly explain a few truths about what these elections have revealed. In Bihar, Nitish Kumar once again proved that he is a strong leader. Yet he could not have won on his party’s strength alone — like Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu implied, politics must be played in alliance; victory comes only when you go before voters together with the BJP and other parties.

Mahagathbandhan’s humiliating defeat was not any minor development. These elections have undeniably heightened doubts that the Congress, which once dominated politics, might be fading away. Even though Lalu Prasad Yadav’s party did not win many seats, it cannot be ignored that it gained more votes than the BJP, which is driving the national political wheel.

Every party needs proper leadership. Voters must have faith in the party’s leader — and that is what happened in Bihar: the voters trust in Nitish Kumar, matched by their confidence in the national leader Narendra Modi, was decisive. In contrast, the Mahagathbandhan suffered from weak leadership and a lack of trust in Rahul Gandhi and other leaders. Unfortunately, caste, religion, and inducements had an outsized impact in these elections.

Welfare schemes have become obstacles to development — the fear that they are used merely to win power is unsettling serious democrats. States are beginning to adopt the principle that the budget should focus on welfare. No political party currently has the courage to say “no” to the introduction of welfare programs aimed at women, the poor, students, or commuters.

Voters demanding “we want social development” have gone dry! Who can do anything amid such circumstances? In this democracy, where religion, caste and regionalism are taking over, if we don’t prevent the thought that India’s democracy won’t last long, nothing will change. Only when a real leader steps forward somewhere — with the sort of development plans the people need and a political party committed to building an inclusive society — and wins power by inspiring the public, can this welfare façade be stripped away and governments actually govern for the people’s benefit.

Prime Minister Modi, elected three times in succession, cannot ignore this point — governance must be structured so that welfare and development are distributed equitably. Whether debts are taken on by individuals or by governments, we cannot remain complacent.

If leaders elected by the people act with the conviction that piling up debt over the next five to ten years is acceptable and that people’s welfare and their future are not the priorities, the nation’s future will be sacrificed. It is only when a chief ruler acts as a statesman guided by political ethics and not just as a politician, can real development be achieved. Any leader in power who, with farsightedness, ensures equal progress for all will be remembered by history as a truly meaningful leader.

Representatives must possess vision that is long-term, not short-sighted. The NDA has won big in Bihar! Tough decisions will need to be taken. If other parties in the government that gave support to Nitish Kumar insist on their own agendas, they might win elections again in some way — but they won’t win people’s hearts. Winning is not what matters; what is more important is achieving development for everyone without discrimination. Let’s hope and expect that this newly elected government will work towards that goal.

There’s nothing surprising about the NDA winning other by-elections (including in Kashmir). Naturally, voters give advantage to the party in power in by-elections — and they did so this time too. The polls were almost spot on.

In Telangana, the survey numbers were also accurate this time. The only thing that was off was BJP’s count! Amid Congress allegations that the BRS and BJP had quietly helped each other, BRS managed 74,259 votes and the loss was not so devastating. Once voters believe that KCR’s leadership still guides the BRS, and irrespective of any further splits, it can still pull off a win at some point.

The Congress party’s by-election win in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills, especially after their heavy defeat in Bihar, has given them a much-needed boost. Congress may now be in a position to trust A Revanth Reddy for a few years. Still, there’s also a reputation that Congress is a party that does not live up to expectations; can that really be forgotten?

(The writer is a retired IPS officer, who has served as an Additional DGP of Andhra Pradesh)