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Among all the political parties, which contested the Maharashtra assembly elections, it is the Congress, which suffered a massive defeat in the state. Its tally came down from 44 seats in 2019 to just 16 this time, suffering a loss of 28 seats.

 

In contrast, the BJP has been the main gainer having taken its tally from 105 in 2019 to 132 this time. While the Congress lost 28 seats, the BJP gained 27 seats.

 

Also, the two Shiv Senas combined have gained 21 seats, winning 77 seats, against the 56 they had won in 2019, when they were together. The two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party have been almost at the same number. The two of them have won 51 seats, against 54 in 2019.

 

Congress blames ‘machine and procedure’

 

The Congress did not accept the defeat, which it never does. This time, it did not clearly blame the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) manipulations directly, but did suggest the same excuse. Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged, it was the “manipulation of both the machine and the procedure”. He neither specified which “machine”, as he did not specify “EVM” nor did he explain which procedure.

 

He also sought to debunk the theory of “micro-management” by the BJP, saying it was “ground level manipulation”, in which leaders of the Congress were “targeted” for defeat, saying these were “targeted defeats”. But that is what political rivals do; they target their opponents with the aim of “targeted defeat” only.

 

Ramesh also asserted that the party will not give up on its agenda of “caste census, removing the 50 percent bar on reservation, protection of the constitution and the ‘Modani’ scams”. Threat to the constitution was raised during the General Elections. But, does anybody in the country really see any threat to the constitution?

 

This is just preposterous. The Congress needs to rethink and introspect. This is the sixth consecutive election the party has lost, including the 2024 General Elections, which it fought on the issue of “caste census”. It lost Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, 2024 General Elections, Haryana and now Maharashtra. Jharkhand is a victory more of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) while the Congress is a junior partner only.

 

Congress 'victory', BJP 'defeat' in 2024

 

Given the stand and statements of the party leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Ramesh in particular, the “Congress did not lose the 2024 General Elections and Modi did not win”. The party has been consistently conveying an impression that the 2024 General Elections were a “victory” for the Congress and a “defeat” for Modi and the BJP, even though the Congress won just 99 seats and the BJP won 240 seats. Also, the Congress remains in opposition for the third consecutive term and the BJP is in power for the third consecutive term. The only difference this time is that the Congress has got the position of the Leader of the Opposition. Otherwise, Narendra Modi continues to be the Prime Minister for the third consecutive term. It is for the first time in the history of independent India that the Congress has remained in opposition continuously for more than ten years.

 

The Congress has peculiar and particular reasons to claim that it was “victorious” in 2024 General Elections and the BJP was “defeated”. Having built up such a narrative nobody can question the leadership for “third consecutive loss”. Instead, “the leadership” has succeeded in maintaining and further strengthening the iron grip on the party. And that is all “the leadership” needed and all it wanted.

 

Caste census: Removing 50 percent ceiling

 

With such “firm grip” over the party, who can question the “party agenda”? Rahul Gandhi, in his speeches has been repeatedly saying, in each and every speech without an exception, that “caste census” was a panacea for all the ills facing the country. He equates it with X-Ray that will reveal the fractured parts.

 

He claims that “90 percent” Indians have been deprived of everything. He repeats it continuously that the “90 percent” people in the country do not have any control over wealth, resources or the decision making processes. He often says that “90 officers are running India”. Among these “90 officers”, he claims there is virtually no representation from the country's “90 percent” population.

 

Which is this “90 percent population”? He gives the breakup of figures as 15 percent SCs, 50 percent OBCs, 8 percent Dalits and 15 percent minorities, which adds to 88 percent and he rounds off the figure at “90 percent”. At times, he also refers to “5 percent poor from general castes”, which he does quite rarely.

 

These figures are hardly convincing. These do not resonate with the majority of the people across the country. If “90 percent” people in a country of 140 crores are really deprived, as Gandhi wants everyone to believe, there will be anarchy. These figures hardly make any sense. Gandhi probably does not realize that people are already well aware and they do apply their own mind. Just because he says that “90 percent people” are deprived does not convince them. It should feel so on the ground, which it does not.

 

 

Another “strange” idea Gandhi has been floating and propagating is removing the “50 percent” ceiling on reservations, which was ordered by the Supreme Court of India in the aftermath of the anti-Mandal agitation in early 1990s.

 

Gandhi suggests and argues that reservations will be based on the percentage of population; that there will be “90 percent” reservations, as he believes that “90 percent” of the population is deprived.

 

This, according to him, means 15 percent for the SCs, 50 percent for the OBCs, 8 percent for the STs (Adivasis) and 15 percent for the minorities.

 

Now, suggest this idea to any educated person in the country irrespective of the caste of religion s/he belongs to and see the reaction. An overwhelming majority will reject it as they have been rejecting it in the last six elections.

 

Another thing that Gandhi suggests is reservation in the private and corporate sector, which can threaten the efficiency and deny avenues of employment for the meritorious. Besides, the private sector entrepreneurship cannot afford to compromise on merit, which reservations tend to cause.

 

He keeps on saying that the “90 percent population” has no representation in the corporates, media, film industry, fashion industry and other sectors like that. At times, he even suggests reservations for “news anchors”! Although he has never said it directly, he clearly says these sectors have “no representation” from the “90 percent population”, hence his suggestions are obvious that these will also need reservation.

 

Caste, religious polarisation

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party have accused Gandhi of trying to divide people on the basis of caste. The BJP said that the Congress defeat was the result of “polarizing” politics of the party (the Congress) while referring to its demand for the caste census.

 

The Congress has been repeatedly accusing the BJP of religious polarization. In a strange argument, the Congress leaders maintain that the “caste census” is not polarizing and polarisation is not caste based but only religion based. 

 

The “caste census” demanded by the Congress with emphasis on removing the “fifty percent bar” on reservations, reminds of the Mandal Commission era. The Congress apparently wants to replicate and practice the Mandal politics of late 1980s in 2020s, without realising that it (the Mandal politics) has outlived its “electoral utility”. The “shining stars” of “Mandal politics” like Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav have long faded away into oblivion. 

 

But Rahul Gandhi wants to revive it and is continuously harping on its theme despite it getting rejected repeatedly by the people of the country. In seeking to remove the “fifty percent bar” on reservations, he is apparently trying to replicate the “Tamil Nadu model”, where it is “69 percent”, against the Supreme Court’s “50 percent ceiling”. Tamil Nadu’s demographics are different from the rest of the country. Tamil Nadu is not India. Gandhi and the Congress must realise, “one size fits all” does not and will certainly not work in a country like India with so many diversities.

 

Nationalism that Congress disowned

 

The Congress will need to rework many things to pose a formidable challenge to the BJP. However, ideology will always remain at the core of the battle. BJP has been playing on the theme of nationalism, which Congress has been trying to dismiss as “polarisation” and “majoritarianism”, forgetting that the ideological foundation of the Congress was based on nationalism only. It will do well to adopt its core ideology of nationalism once again. And it has strong credentials of that, only if “the leadership” understands what that means.