In 2013, after my graduation result was out, I was in a mess. I was giving entrance exams for different subjects at different universities, but they weren’t related to the subject I had studied (microbiology). That time, I was involved in theater. I had training and experience. I had a plan to crack the National School of Drama exam, but that did not happen. My friends were shifting towards TV serials and commercials, but I was confident that I would still rock the stage.
One night, my father, who is an academician, told me to take a deep breath and to take a reality check. Thanks to him, today, I am a storyteller. No, I am not a theatre actor, but a journalist. And I think that the oldest political party, the Indian National Congress, should do the same as I did.
The 2019 Lok Sabha polls are fast approaching. The BJP is making an alliance because the party’s chief, Amit Shah, knows that all possible measures need to be explored if the BJP wants to remain in power. He’s desperate, and so are the others.
The Congress, on the other hand, is under the illusion of a total win after registering victories in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh. The party’s riding high on success, but it’s the time to introspect. It’s time the Congress took a reality check.
Back in 2014, the party’s numbers were miserable. They couldn’t even form the opposition. However, the party has sought to seal some alliance deals in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and Maharashtra. But that is not going to be enough.
In North India, the party is creating an unnecessary mess. In Uttar Pradesh, the most important state as far as the Lok Sabha elections are concerned, the Congress could not form an alliance with the Samajwadi Party or the Bahujan Samaj Party. These two parties formed an alliance to fight collectively. Furthermore, they sent a direct message that, in India, elections are not for boasting about political ideology. At the end of the day, the outcome rests on the numbers.
The Congress party is in a state of commotion. Everybody’s telling a different story. It has not decided on whether to form an alliance with the AAP led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In West Bengal, the party dumped the Left Front, despite knowing that if they lose the existence of the Congress as well as that of the Left Front can suffer immensely.
The Congress does not have an impressive history as far as alliances are concerned. Whenever the party has managed to win an absolute majority, it has flourished, but coalition governments formed by the INC haven’t tasted much success.
In all fairness, it is high time for Rahul Gandhi to showcase his maturity and leadership skills. It’s time that Rahul Gandhi looks for reliable allies that can provide ample support to the Congress in its bid to form the government. That is, in case the party emerges as the single largest party in the upcoming polls.