In a hugely decimated state not securing the required ten per cent of the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha elections to be entitled to positioning as the leader of Opposition, the Congress leaders were found clueless so much so that there was a temporary ban on speaking to the Media by spokespersons. For some time the sound of joy and celebrations in the BJP camps rant the air of Delhi resonating across the country. Pundits, liberals and psephologists are now introspectively silent. At a time of dilemma, analysis is more academic and futuristic as to what is left for the Congress Party to learn.

In the context of its 2019 Election debacle let’s look at the following points:

1. Over the decades, there were neither hardware nor software up gradation versions in the structure and narratives of the Congress Party rather letting the control, management and identity attachment to one family which by computer language INC the first generation.

2. To the contrast of monopolistic stronghold, the BJP made steady inroads in the rural and urban demographic structure through cadres and RSS. Also, moving away from the strong Hindutva campaign around election it had strategically shifted the goalpost to ‘one India, one nation and one Constitution’ theory. 

3. The steady rise and expand of BJP in the pan-Indian landscape as evident from the analysis of vote share across the states in successive election results, both in the states and the Lok Sabha is a testimony of the expansion and ego reconstruct.

4. There is an ideological spread and indoctrination of the entrants and new members in the BJP is known to be carefully engineered through its cadres at booth levels across the non-BJP bastions. In the Congress Party, the Gandhi family is the only vehicle and instrument of continuation of the ideology set in motion at the critical time of independence in 1947 which is to make India politically left-oriented, culturally composite and socially inclusive and liberal as fashioned by the political reordering and international alignment during that period.

5. In the ideology battle of ownership, the BJP has chosen a path chartered by their tall leaders notably Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee – a path of nationalism and agenda arising out of the most controversial Partition of India in 1947 on the basis of religion and  extensively written discourses on  sharing of powers between two leaders namely Mr. M.A Jinnah and Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru. 

6. In addition, geographical identity played its divisive role with massive human migration as a fall out of the Partition in 1947.

7. Therefore, patriotism and nationalism with exclusive Indian(read Bharatiya), cultural and religious ethos was the hallmark of the narrative in the 2019 Election in the BJP campaigning.

8. The BJP’s slogan of Congress mukt Bharat( read India) is at the core of its ideological battle since independence. This narrative has worked effectively among other parameters and consumed by the masses particularly the new voters and the groups between the age of 18 to 35 years. These new generations wanted an icon, a strong nationalistic leader, decisive and masculine. 

9. Every Indian voter be it rural, urban or cities came out as Indian with Bharatiya ego and pride encashed wholesomely by the BJP as opposed to the  voters favouring Congress party, who was different in being Indians as liberated, cultured and sophisticated as the western world would like to see and portray it’s support base that  the Congress campaigned with evangelical fervour. This picturisation was highlighted by the Media and the Press inclined to the Congress party not realising the damage causing to the Congress party. Thus the soul of India (read Bharat) which is in the Idea of India long before made a paradigm shift, a shift which is tectonic as felt by the outcome of the massive mandate of 2019 for BJP and it’s ideology.

10. The unemployment, GST, demonisation, Farmers distress, communal issues- nothing worked, no impact was made in the minds of the voters. The liberal, secular and tolerant approach was pitched against an inherent and ingrained Indian way of life as instilled in large gatherings by BJP in its campaigns. It is now at the centre of all social media writings that the so-called liberals have conceded the defeat and accepted that the NAMO has come to stay for the next five years.

11. From sideline, the media, the Press and academic, intellectuals, liberals  seemed to have misjudged the course of events to the extent that the BJP and it’s core cadres are against the Gandhi family, but in essence, the BJP and RSS consolidated its ideological script against the Nehruvian path and narratives from historical perspectives.

12. As the last confirmation came,  Mr. Rahul Gandhi continued as President of the Party and Sonia Gandhi elected as the leader of the CPP. Under the unchanged scenario, Congress Party is likely to be on the continuous declining trend until the next election in 2024. 

13. In the economic model, there is a phenomenon called the curve of trade cycle where there is a run from depression, recovery, prosperity and boom and the reverse course to complete the run. While the BJP may be in the stage of Prosperity the Congress Party is in the stage of depression for the time being.

14.Until the stage of recovery, the entity of the Congress party without members of the Gandhi family at the helm of affairs is a distant proposition and more so as the fear of rejection by the supporters and hardcore Congressees will demoralise the new leader, if elected, outside the family.

15. There is no pan-Indian persona in Congress leadership as on date other than the Gandhi family. The senior leaders of the Party are aware of this uncertainty and need for a resurgence of the Party for grabbing the power lost and holding the reign of governance. Thus, the noise by certain sections within the party for a change in the leadership now will take a back seat, loyalty to Gandhi family will continue.

Debabrata Deb is Writer, Political analyst and a free thinker.