Even as the dynamics of the political discourse in the city shifts from Lok Sabha polls towards the Delhi Assembly and government formation, confusion prevails amongst the Congress cadre here about the next move the party must take in order to revive its political fortune.
With the party facing rout in two back to back elections within six months – losing 7-0 in Lok Sabha elections 2014 and thrown out of power after Delhi Assembly elections in 2013, the Congress workers are unable to decide whether they should back the demands of fresh Assembly elections in the city or instead nurture the feeble attempts being made by a certain section of the political class (legislators across party lines) to explore possibilities of once again forming a new government without going for fresh polls.
“The way the Congress has been decimated in the last two elections, it is not very difficult to gauge the prevailing anti-Congress sentiment in the electorate. Given a choice hardly any Congress leader would like to face another election in near future. However, extending support to an Aam Aadmi Party government once again to avoid elections would be counter-productive,” a senior Congress leader said.
The Aam Aadmi Party came to power in December 2013 after it won 28 Assembly seats, eating away the traditional vote bank of the Congress in the jhuggi clusters, resettlement and the unauthorised colonies. The Congress party was able to win only eight seats, largely on the support of the Muslim votes. However, going by the per
formance of the Congress, the minority votes too seem to have drifted towards the AAP.
Moreover, the BJP has not only won all the seven Lok Sabha seats with comfortable margins, it has substantially increased it vote share by registering lead in 60 of the 70 Assembly seats this time round.
Stating that the party might take some time to find its political foothold in the city once again, sources in the Congress maintained that the party leadership is unlikely to try and cobble up any political arrangement with the AAP.
“The Congress and the AAP are competing for the same vote bank. Congress revival is directly related to the fortunes of the AAP. It seems, the party has lost some credibility after it quit government in February. But the Congress has gained nothing. The party will have to do lots of churning before things start getting better for the party,” a Congress leader said.
Published - May 19, 2014 09:42 am IST
