Will Congress repeat Haryana in Maharashtra | Faraz Ahmad

Has the Congress learnt any lessons from its awful defeat in the Haryana Assembly elections, last month? Or rather is it going to repeat the same mistake in Maharashtra Assembly elections slated for the 20th of this month? It appears so.

We may still believe that Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, is sincere about an inclusive Congress and an equally accommodative INDIA alliance, committed to ensuring its joint victory to defeat the BJP at the prospective Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. But the discordant notes emerging from the three-party alliance of Shiv Sena (UBT) of Udhav Thackeray, NCP-Sharad of Sharad Pawar and the Congress, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), forbode a repeat of Haryana defeat at the hands of the wily BJP duly assisted by the Election Commission. The marvellous victory of the MVA against the BJP led three-party alliance, Mahayuti in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, seems to have filled the MVA with over confidence, without taking into account that the BJP being in the government has the entire bureaucratic class lined up behind it with the Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla under a cloud of suspicion. And while the MVA leaders have formally lodged a complaint and sought her removal during the coming polls, it would be naïve on the part of the MVA to expect the EC to heed to their request. After all it is not Jharkhand where the EC removed the state Police chief because the BJP suspected his loyalty to Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren. The EC has similarly dealt with such officers in Bengal as well, on BJP complaints of their alleged proximity to chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

In Haryana after the final results the Congress reported irregularity in the outcome of results in at least 20 seats. Despite scoring a remarkable victory in the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress failed to close its ranks which alone could have possibly kept a sharp eye on the role of the bureaucrats picked and chosen by the BJP government to conduct and supervise the assembly elections. Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s obstinate conduct in yielding none, not just to INDIA alliance partners, except one seat to the CPM, but even to other Congress leaders Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala alienated and disheartened not just the INDIA alliance partners but other Congress leaders like Kumari Selja or Randeep Singh Surjewala. The central leadership of the party just sat and watched Hooda snatch defeat from the mouth of a certain victory.

In Maharashtra, there is no doubt that the Congress did very well in parliamentary elections in certain significant regions like Vidarbha. It is also true that it deserved to get the largest share in seat distribution. But on the other hand, neither the Congress nor even the NCP, with Sharad Pawar being too old to head the state government, have a Chief ministerial face. The most prominent and acceptable face of the MVA for being projected as alliance’s prospective chief minister is undoubtedly Udhav Thackeray. Had the Congress ceded this to Udhav right in the beginning simultaneously bargaining to get more seats, the MVA election campaign would have taken off to a flying start, from the word Go. But the with the last date of withdrawal, November 4 approaching coming Monday, there is no clarity on whether the MVA may resort to “friendly fights” on some seats. That would be disastrous for this alliance.

The MVA and more particularly the Congress or rather Rahul Gandhi is intelligent and perceptive enough to see that the corporate world is fully backing Modi. And a BJP government in Mumbai is crucial for both Modi and the corporate honchos. They won’t want to lose it at any cost. This should have made Rahul practical and pragmatic as this victory is as crucial for Rahul too. Moreover, the Modi-Shah duo is eyeing Udhav with fond hope, ready to offer the chief minister’s post to Udhav if he returns to the BJP-led fold.

Once the BJP succeeds in forming a government in Maharashtra, there is no looking back for Modi anymore. All the hope that Rahul evoked through his two country-wide yatras last year and Congress tremendous victory in the Lok Sabha polls will turn into despair and loss of morale.

There is still time for Rahul. The announcement even this far delayed of Udhav as the MVA chief minister face could turn the tables on the BJP. But will the Congress learn its lessons from Haryana? I am not sure.