The Indian electorate has matured and it is not getting side tracked into caste, communal and other emotive issues raised by wily politicians at time of elections.
If you have not performed honestly for the past five years and have not been able to give good governance which you promised, you are simply out.
It is like a buyers’ market if your product is not good, the buyer will try out another product.
Whichever party is able convince the people successfully that it will deliver, it will get the chair, but if it falters on its promises, it would be out the next time round.
In a way politics is becoming professional in India today.
Congress has swept 135 seats in Karnataka getting a massive victory after decades defeating the incumbent BJP government. It has been able to convince the people that it will provide better governance.
As it targeted the BJP government on the allegation of it being “40 per cent cut” government, unable to provide employment etc. Now it has to see to it that it provides a corruption free government and provide employment which is easier said than done.
It has also promised five guarantees like 200 units of free electricity to all houses every month, a monthly payment of Rs 2000 to women head of households, free bus travel to all women across the State, pay Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders every month, and most importantly provide 10kg rice, free of cost, per person per month to families living below the poverty line.
These are the kind of schemes which directly touch the people and may have greatly helped it garner many votes. But if these promises are not fulfilled, Congress must realise that it may lose its hard earned political power next time round.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi himself said that their win was due to Congress standing firmly with the “poor” of Karnataka against the might of “crony capitalism” of BJP.
In posturing Congress into a kind of poor David versus huge Goliath battle, Congress almost ensured that they are able to throw out the ruling BJP.
The fanfare and big bandobast of the huge road shows and rallies of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah , with Prime Minister at times walking a long stretch in the market place demonstrating his desire to mingle and be close with the enthusiastic crowds, somehow failed to produce the desired results in the hustings for the BJP.
Is Modi magic not effective any more?
Actually while the BJP may have tried to make the election into a kind of clash of “personality”, Modi versus Rahul Gandhi. Knowing full well that Narendra Modi enjoyed a towering personality and would easily trounce Rahul Gandhi.
But Congress strategists seem have clearly avoided any kind of direct one to one personality competition being built up between Rahul Gandhi and Modi.
Rather than Congress playing up on leadership of Rahul Gandhi in Karnataka elections gave emphasis to “bread and butter” issues which touched the local people. Corruption, grievances of people at the grass roots level particularly the poor people, unemployment, inflation, were issues taken up by Congress.
The BJP bringing emotive issue like Bajrang Dal resulted in consolidating and polarising Muslim votes which helped Congress.
A lot of JDS votes too went to Congress which denied the JDS to get into the position of being the king maker as Congress got majority on its own.
With 135 seats, the people of Karnataka gave a decisive mandate to Congress which would definitely help Congress have a stable government for the next five years. It got votes from all sections of society including Dalits.
The BJP clearly missed the bus and the last efforts by the Modi-Shah duo could not enthuse the people who seemed to have made up their mind for a change of government.
Rahul Gandhi’s “Bharat Jodo” yatra seems to have impacted the minds of the people of Karnataka. Mr Rahul Gandhi and his party the Congress, came out as s a viable alternative to the BJP government.
Many more elections lined up
There a many more elections lined up in other states and the big one – General Elections in 2024.
The question in everyone’s mind is how will Congress’s win in a big state like Karnataka effect other elections in other states and 2024 General Elections.
As soon as Karnataka elections results have come, and BJP faced defeat despite its big guns like Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J.P. Nadda making fervent appeals to the voters to vote BJP.
The BJP has said Karnataka is just a regional or state election fought on local issues and would not have any impact on either other election lined up in the country in other states as also the nationwide General elections of 2024.
But then why were the Prime Minister of the country and BJP national president campaigning so hard for a state level election fought on local issues ?
BJP has said it would introspect as to what went wrong.
Some analysts say BJP did not have strong local leaders and its organisational strength too was weak. Congress on the other had more local leaders and strong organisational set up.
To say it would not have any impact on other states and 2024 is wrong? It has already enthused the Congress cadres throughout, plus it would definitely provide a number of lessons to the Congress strategists as to how to go about conducting a successful election campaign.
With six states where Congress is enjoying power like Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and in three others where it is in alliance like Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu. Karnataka win will further strengthen it nationally.
It can definitely try to be the pole for any Opposition alliance which is built up for 2024 (with the proviso that it holds onto its power in its states). However it has to learn to be humble and accommodative towards other Opposition parties and their interests, otherwise any alliance will be in tatters even before it is stitched.
What is more worrying is the rejection of BJP and its top brass by the people of Karnataka. It is definitely a wake up call for BJP because in politics the future is completely uncertain.
| Posted by Sameer Khan | 
