Congress, BJP and Three Hindi Belt states - Is the defeat of Congress party in these states irreversible in other elections in future? The Answer is Negative.

Over the last few years, viewers in India are witnessing two types of media, classified by the public as Godi Media and non-Godi media be it in print or electronic form. In both categories, Godi media type is far more dominant and resourceful. Countwise in print, non-Godi media stands miniscule of the total, but in electronic version, where, in my narrative, I also include Social Media as well, the non-Godi type of YouTubers, though small in number, are very vocal in their narrative, growing in numbers and of late, are giving gratification to those who want India to be a bastion of Democracy in governance; liberal and tolerant as is its ethos, viz to follow its age old ideas like Vasundhara Kutumbakun (the whole world is one  -my- family), Sarva Dharma Sambhaav (equal respect for all religions) and Sarv Panth Samaadar (equal respect to all religions), which squarely beats the western idea of Secularism now in vogue. Same are the trends on social media platforms.

To start with, the Godi Media has set their agenda as desired by their masters who control them and are hence excluded from the subject matter of this piece. As regards analyses of public discourse, the experts of non-Godi Media at times waver and resort to hurried conclusions. This statement gets its strength from their panel discussions and solo presentations post Karnataka elections. Viewers have been noticing that immediately after Karnataka elections, these experts almost wrote off BJP and ignored the popularity of the Prime Minister and under estimated the strategies and organisational strength of the BJP high command on one hand and ignored the fact of the roles that the state institutions are allegedly playing on their behalf.

On the other hand they started eulogising Rahul Gandhi and started projecting him as a serious challenger to the Prime Minister, without giving any thought to internal personality tussles in his party as also the Congress’ ineffective organisational strength as compared to the BJP. They started whole-hearted campaign of giving the impression that BJP was going to lose badly in all three states of the Hindi belt. So much so that Congress too seemed to believe in their analyses in the closing period of their campaigns and became complacent. In the end the maligned EVMs announced a thumping victory for the BJP in all three states of the Hindi belt, sparing Telangana and Mizoram, where BJP was never a (top) contender anyways.

Once again, after the Congress party’s defeat these same experts have changed track. Majority of them are writing off the Congress party in a hurry, diminishing its importance in the yet to be inaugurated I.N.D.I.A Gathhbandhan and showering praises on the capability of the Honourable PM to turn the tables. One of these experts even declared that 'Jeet Ho Toh Aisi Ho'. The fact on the other hand is different. Congress has secured over 9 lac total votes polled more than the BJP in these five states and its percentage is around 40 percent share in the three states of the Hindi belt states, while that of the BJP is 45%. It is our electoral system of past the post criterion of winning, that does not take into account the overall popular votes garnered by a party. In sum, Congress is very much a force to reckon with.

Leaving aside the afore mentioned analyses and their analysts, even the various regional satraps within  I.N.D.I.A Gathhbandhan have started showing their aggressive attitude to the Congress party and will not stop short of fetching their pound of flesh when it comes to seat sharing formula, if at all the group survives and does not crumble under the weight of so many Prime Ministerial candidates,  notwithstanding the insignificant performance of some of them in the elections just concluded.

Under these circumstances, it will be worth offering following unsolicited suggestions to Netas and Karyakartas of the Congress party for consideration with due apology to all stakeholders in the Party:

• Bharat Jodo Yatra has been a great success and must continue as a counter to religious polarisation and restoration of Congress party’s basic ideology of unity in diversity.
• Rahul Gandhi has acquired a new image and status after this Yatra and he should avoid using ignoble words, phrases and sentences in his lectures and totally avoid any personal comment on the Prime Minister for it is the position, rather than the person that demands respect.
• Also mentioning of various frauds, persons involved in them and their effects on national exchequer as also its economy are subjects understood by middle and upper middleclass people, majority of whom are committed supporters of the parties they choose and beyond the capacity of understanding by the poor, backwards and Adivasis. For them, these issues need to be projected in a language and discourse understood by them.

As for the Congress party as a whole, the opinions being offered in succeeding points may be considered.

• Counter False Propaganda: What India was after the Independence in pre-2014 was without any doubts due to the efforts made by successive Congress governments over the years by following a liberal and socialist path, which resulted in tremendous all-round progress in every field despite contrary hostile propaganda by BJP and the Hon PM. Shri Malikarjun Khadge has been forcefully mentioning these facts in almost every lecture of his and has succeeded in countering the false propaganda. This strategy must be followed at all levels.
• Have the patience to sit in the opposition; stick to your basic ideology
• and discard policy of soft Hindutva. This policy was started by the late PM Indira Gandhi and is being tried ever since and has been a failure as is evident in the loss of all the three Hindi belt states. RSS and BJP have joint monopoly on Hindutva and it must be left to them as their core competency. The party should rather give emphasis on letting the masses know what is the difference between Hinduism and Hindutva and the fact that BJP is just using this only for political gains. Let the people understand the long-term damage, which the nation will witness as a result of their policy of polarising the society on religious grounds.
• Minorities as Vote Banks: As regards minorities (READ Only Muslims HERE), avoid their exploitation as a vote bank by  nurturing show boys or Ulema from amongst them. These show boys have done sweet nothing for the Muslims and have consumed all the cream in the bargain. Rather, allow adequate  opportunities for overcoming their backwardness in every field, notwithstanding the allegation of appeasement. They should also be categorised under OBC and granted every affirmative benefits given under this category.
• Also accept mistakes committed during its long rule especially in allowing growth of Corruption and Communalism. They are facts and a road map must be projected for course correction.
• Stick to the Political alliances in Bihar (especially with RJD and the Left), Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Leave INDIA and let the aggressive satraps at the mercy of BJP. Do Not align or trust aayarams and gayarams (आया राम गया राम).
• Allow the present scenario so that the electoral battles centre around Ideology and issue based criteria commensurate with progressive and systematic scientific thinking.
• Last but not the least, learn and implement the positive aspects of RSS like consistency, perseverance, concentration on core values and patience to achieve targets. 

The Congress also needs to learn from the way how BJP has been functioning at the highest or high command level as also at grass root level.

The View expressed in the above post are of the Author.