Tutoring Congress on how to beat the BJP in future polls

Fight the BJP state-by-state in future polls, is what Congress veteran P Chidambaram has to tell party colleagues

How does a party like Congress hope to win against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the future? With victory constantly eluding the grand old party, it looks like a strategy to hold the party together so as to win upcoming polls has turned out to be a must. Veteran leader P Chidambaram seems to have a formula to win, and this could come about as a pointer to the days ahead for the Congress party.

Fight the BJP state-by-state. That’s what Chidambaram has put forward as a suggestion. That could mean that the Congress will have to strategize as per the need of each state or region and pick up some winner links to stand up against the BJP.

Future polls, bolder outlook

A cautious strategy would be thus: When an election is announced in West Bengal, going solo would be bane for the Congress party, considering the current circumstances. The party is down and out, and to take on a juggernaut like the BJP would need a plan that hasn’t been often tried before. So when in West Bengal, the party needs to give up all other plans and align with the Trinamool Congress which is stronger force in comparison in that state.

Similarly, the party would have to realise and recognise that the Aam Admi Party (AAP) has grown in strength in Punjab, and so a poll arena with BJP on other side should have an AAP-Congress combine as the contender.

When P Chidambaram puts forward the advice of fighting the BJP state-by-state, this could be what he actually means. Each state’s political scenario needs a better study and adapting itself to counter the defeat that stares in its eyes would be best for the Congress.

As for the 23 dissenting leaders of the Congress party putting all blame on the Gandhis, Chidambaram would differ in his opinion. He has maintained that only the Gandhis aren’t to be blamed for the recent election defeats. Instead of coming out with comments and statements that could only lead to a split in the party, he has called upon his party colleagues who had been demanding the stepping down of the Gandhis’ to travel back to their constituencies and rebuild the party units there.

Sonia and the AICC polls

With August have been set as a date for the election of a new AICC president, the situation needs to be seen as normal. Calling for an interim chief to take over till August would look like a bad decision. With the Congress Working Committee reposing their faith in Sonia Gandhi, she needs to be allowed to do her work which she is doing well at the moment, he feels. He also pointed out that Sonia Gandhi had even proposed to advance the AICC elections but it was the party that refused to agree to that.

Looking at the weaknesses and the disadvantages the party currently has is the need of the moment. And as the veteran leader opines, the party should now look at winning against the BJP by strategizing state-by-state. Will the party do that? That, for sure, would leave one guessing!