Congress likely to focus on opposition unity after morale booster in Gujarat
, ET Bureau|
Dec 20, 2017, 12.10 AM IST
NEW DELHI: Congress party has showed clear signs of its revival in Gujarat assembly polls, but its failure to reach the magic figure of 92 in 182-member house may prompt it to go for a course correction to ensure maximum unity among opposition parties at the national level.
Party president Rahul Gandhi' new avatar as a 'vote catcher' in Gujarat polls may help him attract regional parties, particularly in states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which have 40 85 Lok Sabha seats respectively. But its failure to win in Gujarat may impact its bargaining power while negotiating seat-sharing with regional allies, experts said.
"Had Congress reached the magic figure in Gujarat assembly polls, it would have become a tough task for its possible allies like RJD (Bihar), SP (UP) or other regional parties in different states to resist its (Congress') demand for a respectable number of seats in the 2019 LS polls," said a leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress' ally in Bihar.
In both UP and Bihar, Congress' organisational structure is poor, forcing the party to play second fiddle to regional allies. Congress had not involved any friendly regional leaders such as RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Samajwadi Party (SP) boss Akhilesh Yadav in its election campaign in Gujarat, in a reflection of its strategy to present Rahul Gandhi as challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reserve its place as the "natural rallying point" in the opposition camp, experts said.
"Regional parties will now see Congress as a respectable political force and thus, it is Congress party's natural responsibility to keep all such opposition parties in good humour in future," said a Congress leader in Bihar.
Congress' success in giving a tough fight to BJP in the prime minister's home state may also have some impact in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre, experts said.
"Following the results of Gujarat assembly polls, NDA allies may increase inner pressure on the BJP," a Bihar Congress leader said. "It may be a good situation for the Congress to undertake efforts for maximum unity among the opposition parties in such a situation," the person said.
Party president Rahul Gandhi' new avatar as a 'vote catcher' in Gujarat polls may help him attract regional parties, particularly in states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which have 40 85 Lok Sabha seats respectively. But its failure to win in Gujarat may impact its bargaining power while negotiating seat-sharing with regional allies, experts said.
"Had Congress reached the magic figure in Gujarat assembly polls, it would have become a tough task for its possible allies like RJD (Bihar), SP (UP) or other regional parties in different states to resist its (Congress') demand for a respectable number of seats in the 2019 LS polls," said a leader of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress' ally in Bihar.
In both UP and Bihar, Congress' organisational structure is poor, forcing the party to play second fiddle to regional allies. Congress had not involved any friendly regional leaders such as RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Samajwadi Party (SP) boss Akhilesh Yadav in its election campaign in Gujarat, in a reflection of its strategy to present Rahul Gandhi as challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reserve its place as the "natural rallying point" in the opposition camp, experts said.
"Regional parties will now see Congress as a respectable political force and thus, it is Congress party's natural responsibility to keep all such opposition parties in good humour in future," said a Congress leader in Bihar.
Congress' success in giving a tough fight to BJP in the prime minister's home state may also have some impact in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre, experts said.
"Following the results of Gujarat assembly polls, NDA allies may increase inner pressure on the BJP," a Bihar Congress leader said. "It may be a good situation for the Congress to undertake efforts for maximum unity among the opposition parties in such a situation," the person said.
