FOR THE PAST five years, Captain Amarinder Singh has been giving hope to an increasingly cheerless Congress. He led the party to victory in the Punjab assembly polls in 2017—the Congress’s first resounding victory since it was reduced to its lowest-ever tally of 44 seats in the Lok Sabha in 2014.
This year, he helped the Congress win eight of 13 seats in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab, even as the party managed to win just 52 across India. Captain saab, as Singh is known in Punjab, told THE WEEK that the Congress needs to appreciate that regional politics plays an important role in national elections, too. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:
Q/ How would you assess the Congress campaign vis-a-vis the results? What are the lessons that emerge out of it?
A/ Well, the national level campaign of the Congress was quite strong, and I would not really blame it for the party’s performance. Rahul charted a clear roadmap for the campaign, with real issues, such as farmers’ problems, unemployment and poverty. Unfortunately, these were overshadowed by Balakot, which the BJP, led by the prime minister, claimed to be a victory for their party and government. And the Congress failed to counter it as effectively as it should have done. We misread the impact this nationalist campaign could have on the people. When it comes to nationalism, I think every Indian tends to put it above all else, and rightly so. It is a different matter that the nationalism card played by the BJP was fake. But the Congress failed to get that message across. We stuck to our campaign strategy and failed to adapt it to counter the BJP strategy. That is a lesson we need to imbue for the future: the need to be more agile and responsive.
Q/ In retrospect, what would you say, went wrong?
A/ It is not about anything going wrong. As I have said repeatedly, ups and downs are part of politics and we need to accept that. Of course, it is a setback for us, but nothing that reflects on the party leadership or on the strategy carved by Rahul and his team. But there is one thing we should have handled better. We should have gone for strong pre-poll alliances, especially in the major states. Regional electoral politics plays an important role in national elections, too, which the Congress needs to understand and appreciate.
Q/ Is the party being shell-shocked justified? What should the party now do for its workers, and those 20 per cent voters who voted for it?
A/ The party is not shell-shocked, as you have put it. We are simply in introspection mode, which is very critical to put our act together for the future. We need to gain the confidence of the 80 per cent who did not vote for the Congress. But before that, we need to regain our own confidence and also put a proper, well thought out strategy in place. That is what the party is trying to do at the moment. Once we are done, you will see the Congress emerge stronger and more focused.
Q/ The party has shown that India is not going to be Congress-mukt. What is the way forward to ensure that it comes back to power next time around?
A/ It was foolish to even think that India can be Congress-mukt. The Congress has shaped not only India’s freedom struggle, but also its destiny for years after independence. As a strong democratic and secular party with its ethos rooted in constitutional principles, the Congress is the only party that can steer the progress of every section of society. Going forward, it is important to reenergise and revitalise the party and each of its workers. The introspection I just spoke of is all about formulating the plan to do that. We are now in the process of thinking through the next steps. Let me assure you, the party is going to be back in the game soon enough.
Q/ People in the party, including leaders, seem unsure of the party’s future without a Gandhi at the helm. Why is that so? Do you share that feeling?
A/ The Gandhi family has successfully led the party and steered the nation for decades. It has sacrificed a lot for the party and understands the pulse of the Congress, as also the people of this nation. Naturally, the idea of a Congress not led by a Gandhi seems somewhat unimaginable. This is not to say there is absence of strong leadership outside the Gandhi family. But the Gandhis over the years, with Rahul now and Sonia earlier, have proved to be the best leaders for the Congress all these years.
Q/ What are the five things that must be done quickly to get the Congress back to its former glory?
A/ Firstly, Rahul should stay at the helm to lead the party with renewed confidence and vigour. Let us not forget that it was under his leadership that the Congress swept the assembly polls in several states just a few months back. Secondly, we should start working more aggressively on the ground to reach out to the people. Thirdly, steps should be taken to revive the confidence of party workers, for which the top leaders themselves need to go around interacting with them. Fourthly, it is important for us to take feedback from the workers in order to address the lapses that prevented the Congress from performing as it was expected to. And finally, we need to work closely with regional parties to build strong alliances to expose the BJP’s negative policies across regions and states.
For full interview, log on to theweek.in
