The recent statement of the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee who is also the supremo of TMC, offering her support to congress party wherever the party is strong is nothing short of denigrating the congress and not a sign of political sagacity or sign of opposition unity. It means, wherever the TMC is weak, the TMC would extend its support to congress, for example, in MP, Rajasthan, Kerala, Maharastra, Tamil Nadu etc., obviously not in West Bengal. The message is quite clear and evident.
If all the regional parties in India decides to choose the path of TMC and are willing to support congress where those parties are weak and instead, ask the congress to support them where those regional parties are strong, they clearly want to push the congress party as a marginal force and nothing else.
The electoral outcome of Karnataka has shown that the minority community has started to shift towards congress party from regional parties even in the state election, it means, for 2024 election, the shift of minority vote towards the congress party would be much stronger. Therefore, congress must focus on minority vote bank and minority appeasement politics harder than before so that the minority vote is consolidated away from the regional parties.
The primary objective of the congress must be to defeat and teach all those regional parties and not win 2024 election or defeating Modi. Issues like nationalism, patriotism, Indian culture, development, inclusiveness etc., the congress must leave for BJP and instead congress must focus on minority appeasement so that most of the regional parties are deprived of their minority appeasement vote bank politics. After Karnataka victory, congress party is in better position to deal DMK in Tamil Nadu. DMK has earned enormous hatred of people of the state. Congress alone can consolidate minority vote for DMK. Congress must demand its fair share of seat otherwise must be ready to dump DMK and teach DMK the best lesson through its defeat.
Only by playing a hard ball, congress can revive itself and can also teach the regional parties. Today JDS has been shown its place in Karnataka. The core vote bank of congress is minority support and also all those celebrate corruption, nepotism, dynastic politics and sycophancy form part of vote bank of congress party. The above vote bank has shifted away from congress party and has gone to several regional parties.
The best political strategy for congress would be to get back those core vote bank by isolating and defeating the regional parties than focusing on how to defeat BJP. Third straight defeat in 2024 for congress is not going to make any huge difference to congress party. The party is going to remain rock solid under the same family. Even BJP win the 2024 election with 370 seats or more, it is good for congress, if such victory has come at the cost of defeat of the regional parties where congress party is the architect. The minority consolidation under congress must the reason.
Once such political strategy, although it may look suicidal, but really not, is adopted by congress party, it will be between congress party and BJP and all the regional parties are reduced to fence sitters, begging for the mercy of either congress or BJP.
India is largely ruined by regional politics and regional parties owned by different families. To be in power, these regional parties whip-up anti-India sentiments, regional chauvinism and caste arithmetic. India needs to be united which is possible only when both the majority community and all minority communities accept India as their motherland and its sacred ancient culture.
The people of minority community are different only in their religious faith and otherwise they are all equal contributors and stake holders of our ancient culture which is essentially Hinduism. Congress party must unite all minority communities away from regional parties, must focus on defeating the regional parties and once the regional parties are made vestigial in Indian politics, then the congress can aspire for power. When congress was in power for over 70 years since independence, BJP and RSS would have adopted the same strategy and now they are enjoying the fruit.
For a stable India, BJP need 400 MPs in 2024. In order to bring stability, a law must be framed where only national parties alone can contest 80% of the parliamentary seats and only the balance seat, the regional parties are allowed to contest. Such law may look ridiculous but is must for India and congress and BJP must work together to bring such law.
If congress party slip its position and might now fail to eliminate all regional parties from the political fray and consolidate minority vote through high decibel minority outreach and appeasement programme, congress cannot come to centre stage ever in future. The radicle decision, at times may look stupid and suicidal but is essential to make own relevance and success.
