After the party's dismal performance in the recently concluded by-poll elections in Uttar Pradesh, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi try to resume his political battle in state by analysing the outcome but unfortunately with the same negative approach with which he started the journey.
On Thursday (April 5, 2012), Rahul Gandhi, who was the face of Congress campaign in the state assembly polls convene a two-day meeting with 150-odd candidates who secured above 20,000 votes but defeated, MLAs and senior leaders to review what went wrong according to them. On the first day while he was adressing party workers, most of his post-election strategy seems to revolve under the cloud o highlighting the incompetency of the ruling govt. as the only hope for the party’s comeback in state and making it battle-ready ahead of the LS polls in 2014. Rahul Gandhi agenda of a meeting gives the expression of destructiveness and makes most of the party members unimpressed with the way he blames the individual leaders rather than internal politics and organizational weaknesses as major reasons of party’s defeat in 3 out of 5 assembly polls.
Rahul Gandhi while talking to the workers exclaimed to have a close eye on Akhilesh Yadav’s govt and appeal local candidates to take a note on the promises he has made with the voters (in his party manifesto) whether they will be implemented or not in the near future. Indifferent attitude of congress’ most preferred nominee for Prime Ministerial post raise several questions on his expertise of handling defeat and his significance on party’s behalf. Instead of examine and correcting the flaws and cons of the party, Rahul Gandhi tries to see the illusive silver lining in the midst of darkness putting bet on his counterpart inefficiencies and incompetence to rule the state.
According to political experts, it is the negative politics and over-aggressive attitude of Rahul that paved the way for a drastic and unprecedented defeat of Congress in state elections. Though, the party’s incompetency in taking decisions on candidate selection, outlawing parallel campaigning, and contradictory remarks by senior leaders on sensitive issues like Muslim quota, Batla House encounter, etc also has there due for the dismal performance of congress.
One must remember the way Rahul Gandhi ‘tear to pieces’ the manifesto of Samajwadi party in one of his mass rally. Titles like “angry young man of congress” didn’t quite work in favor of Rahul to convert the mass support gathered in his rallies into votes. Comments by senior minister-leaders of congress on increasing Muslim quota, Batla house encounter and imposition of President’s rule in state also come as part of negative politics and attract criticism from all part of state. Keeping away foreign author-writer Salman Rushdie during elections, breaking moral code of conduct of Election Commission guidelines, calling SP as ‘goons’ and BSP as ‘thieves’ all were a part of negative political campaign front by Rahul Gandhi.
After six weeks of UP catastrophe, it’s high time for Rahul and moreover Congress to understand the fact that the voters today are more intelligent; in the current political scenario there’s little left for them to hope and trust these politicians for a positive growth. Voters today know how the political atmosphere works and they are not ready for any more negativism. They want growth and development rather than listening of other party’s flaws by these leaders. For Rahul Gandhi, Instead of playing negative politics and counting others weaknesses, try emphasizing on to develop own strengths and work for the correction of self- weaknesses that will hopefully makes a appropriate base to fight and broader their chances in upcoming elections.
Rahul needs to learn a lot from the mistakes he has done in the past and think twice as it will be of no surprise committing them again will lead to the congress dismal performance even go worse, and a nightmare comes true for its leadership to lost the remaining support of a common men.
