Experts predict bleak future for Congress

NEW DELHI: The Gujarat elections exposed the organisational weakness of the Congress as much as they boosted the image of Narendra Modi around whom the campaign revolved, say political analysts. Whatever the result means for the BJP, it does not portend a bright future for the Congress, they say.

Prof Kamal Mitra Chenoy of Jawaharlal Nehru University said with Himachal Pradesh results also likely to go against the Congress, the net impact would ensure that the party does not go to mid-term polls and rather chooses to compromise on issues including the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Doubting the abilities of the Congress strategists, Chenoy said, “This is crunch time for the Congress. It will have to rethink its election and political strategies and also examine its NGO links and how and where to use them.”

Arun Nehru said the Modi-focused campaign by politicians as well as the media helped the BJP. “The vote share of the BJP has gone up since 2002, a remarkable achievement for Modi. Every BJP defector the Congress gave ticket to, lost his deposit,” he pointed out.

He said, “You have to have good chief ministers to do well in states. Just as Nitish Kumar would do well in Bihar and Naveen Patnaik in Orissa. If you attack Modi, you are attacking the people of Gujarat.” 

Chenoy also pointed out the Congress’ weaknesses in Gujarat. The party should have put up a strong, local leader, but they had none, he said.

s_rajesh@dnaindia.net