Karnataka electoral upshot, a lesson for Congress

The political debacle of the Congress party in Karnataka Assembly elections and a majority to BJP certainly puts a question mark on the credibility of the Congress at the Centre as the result may have a larger impact on national politics in terms of policy making and also the performance of UPA as a whole. The UPA from here onwards needs to be very specific amid its sweeping differences and reluctance to certain issues which crafted uncertainty amongst the general public resulting in their defeat in Karnataka.

The recent comment of CPI (M) General Secretary, Prakash Karat who blamed Congress for the loss of Karnataka to non-secular forces, makes no political sense, but only reflects the existing difference and the lack of consensual governance in Centre. Here the Left is as much responsible as the Congress in terms of the common minimum programme.

The decisive victory of BJP in Karnataka is not solely due to local factors including the JD(S) betrayal but to a large extent, the issues of national interest such as the failure in controlling price of essential commodities, approach to farmers’ plight, and concern of terrorism, which together influenced the electoral gain and loss.

Ahead of the 2009 General election, the Centre’s policies towards inclusive growth, with a tag of pro-aam aadmi, in the fifth and final year of the office would set the course for future alliance politics of UPA. Karnataka poll certainly has overweight on national politics considering the earlier sweeping victory of BJP in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The recent development in regional politics is strongly linked to the development at the national front.

As one can’t keep those victories in isolation, the Congress in particular has a very little time to strengthen its regional base; the party has been in a critical regional leadership crisis. This is the reason for which the party organised the road show in several states projecting Rahul Gandhi as its ‘trump-card’, just to reinforce the youth participation in regional politics. But, leaders of Congress shouldn’t forget that only Sonia or Rahul Gandhi can not bring any kind of change at their own until and unless the party as a whole strive to bring transformation at the grass root level by taking up the common people’s plight.

To regain its ground, and alleviate the delicate coalition boat, the Congress and UPA as a whole needs to focus on the effective implementation of policies like National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Farm Loan Waiver and Education as populist measures in all states irrespective of its stand in various state.

Its pro-aam aadmi tag which people feel has gone far from implication needs to be knitted with common men’s heart. Unless the three basic requirements of people-bread, butter, and house would not be provided to them at reasonable prices, Congress can not re-establish its root among them.