Great AMBITIONS

The Congress is confident of breaking new ground, but going it alone might be a risky venture on the ground

Akash Bisht Delhi

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM SUGGESTS that the winner in the 2009 elections would be that 'national' party that has more allies in different states. From this standpoint, the Congress, which successfully headed the UPA coalition for five years, seemed to have the nose ahead of the BJP-led NDA. This was till its allies took their leave from the Congress by saying "see you again" next time and chose to go their way. The question is: What is happening on the ground and why are political parties not willing to contest with the Congress?

On the face of it, the Congress looks helpless - a grand old party that has been deserted by strong, regional political outfits. First, it was their new ally in UP, the Samajwadi Party (SP,) that bailed them out over the civilian nuclear deal in Parliament despite a troubled relationship. The SP refused to give Congress as many seats as they were demanding in UP. So the SP left six seats for Sonia Gandhi, her son, Rahul, and few others and bid adieu to the tense relationship.
In Bihar, their "loyal" ally, Lalu Prasad Yadav, "unilaterally" announced three seats for the Congress and split the rest with Ram Vilas Paswan. The Congress felt humiliated and chose to go alone in all the seats. In Tamil Nadu, too, another partner, PMK, parted ways to join the AIADMK-led front, leaving the Congress orphaned with the DMK.

These raptures have a pattern: first there is a manifest disconnect between how the Congress and allies perceive each other's strength, they haggle and part ways. The Congress leaders claim that the multiple-divorce were choreographed long ago by none other than Rahul Gandhi. In a Congress Working Committee meeting, Rahul positioned himself against having a national alliance with UPA allies. He claimed that it "would be disastrous" for the party. Sharad Pawar's NCP was lobbying hard for such a tie-up. The net outcome of this "forced" change in strategy is that the Congress may contest 450 seats in the country.

The decision to fight elections alone in UP and Bihar has spread excitement in party ranks. Devinder Dwivedi is one of those senior Congress leaders who has been lobbying hard that the Congress should fight elections alone in these states to build a base it has lost due to the compulsions of coalition politics.

In an exclusive interview with Hardnews, Dwivedi said: "The alliance in no way meant that the Congress has agreed to freeze its present strength as part of the coalition dharma and let the partners expand, acquire political legitimacy and profile at the national level. Some of them expect that we should permanently seal our lost terrain to them and help them become national parties. So that, as and when it suits them, they can part ways and challenge the Congress. This is totally unacceptable."

Party leaders have repeatedly expressed that the Congress should have decided on this strategy long back ensuring considerable time to nurture candidates and their constituencies. Several prominent Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Digvijay Singh and others are behind sponsoring this strategy. Dwivedi added, "Congress is doing what it should have done much earlier."