The Congress Party in Maharashtra is still struggling to regain its composure which it lost after the party was totally routed in the Lok Sabha and the state assembly elections held last year. The party recorded its worst ever performance, indulged in blame game and later reconciled to the reality where it has lost major vote banks and support base in a state which it ruled for decades without any formidable challenge. Even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi came on the national horizon and mesmerized voters, the party was slowly losing its support base over the last decade.
Maharashtra remained the Congress citadel due to visionary policies adopted by Yashwantrao Chavan in early 1960s by adopting politics of “addition” – ensuring expansion of support base for the party. There was aberration when Sharad Pawar formed the first non-Congress government in the state with the help of opposition parties but the Congress soon regained its lost glory.
The formation of Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in the state and demolition of Babri Masjid followed by the communal riots in Mumbai and other parts of the state was beginning of fall of the Congress. The Muslim voters were disillusioned and did not return back since they had many alternatives like Samajwadi Party. The state saw the first non-Congress government in 1995 when the Shiv Sena-BJP formed the government but lost the state to the Congress-NCP in 1999. The two Congress parties ruled the state for 15 years without break keeping the saffron alliance at bay.
With the Modi effect and a BJP led NDA government in Delhi in saddle, the Congress and the NCP, which contested separately, lost the battle to the saffron brigade. The BJP swelled its rank and from fourth position, it topped by winning more than 100 seats. In the process, the Congress lost its prime position and like Uttar Pradesh, it was pushed to almost fourth position.
The party has taken its own time to put on Opposition’s shoes and behave as a responsible opposition party on the floor of the state legislature. However, the party needs to fine-tune its strategy as an opposition party to secure its position back in the coming days. It appears that it will take more time than expected as there is total disarray and lack of confidence to move ahead to consolidate the party’s position in the state.
The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) is still struggling and looking for the party headquarters to guide it during difficult period. The state leaders are waiting to see Rahul Gandhi take over the reins of the party in the coming days and then move forwards. Till then, there would be little activities by the state units.
The Congress legislators were not very happy with the former chief minister, Prithviraj Chavan, under whose leadership they contested the elections that they lost in 2014. Chavan was a non-corrupt chief minister but could do very little to galvanize the party unit for the crucial fight during the assembly elections. Chavan had good relations with 10 Janpath and survived full term but he could not seize the opportunity to become leader of the opposition in the state legislative assembly. He was ignored and the party appointed former minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil as the leader of the opposition with a status of a cabinet minister. Vikhe Patil is a smart political strategist but is considered too mild for the post where more a more aggressive leader is required to play the role on opposition benches.
MPCC Chief had a long inning as a party chief in Maharashtra but Delhi could not decide, in time, whether to let him continue during the crucial elections or to replace him before the elections were held in 2014. This hesitation on the part of Congress high command proved costly as Thakare could not get required support from the rank and file of the party when he was preparing the party for the royal battle in 2014. With the stunning defeat of the party in these elections, he was removed from the party but high command took its own time to decide on his successor.
The party wanted to give more responsibility to former chief minister Ashok Chavan in the changed environment but hesitated for quite some time as his name was involved in the Adarsh Housing Scam. Once his name was partially cleared by the courts, the party decided to appoint him as the MPCC president. Chavan, a former chief minister, had led the party to success in earlier elections and knows the state and its intricacies. The party high command has a lot of expectations from him and the approaching election is going to be his first test.
Former Chief Minister Narayan Rane is another influential leader with the Congress who has the capacity to galvanize the party. His performance as a leader of the opposition in the state legislature was outstanding and even then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had acknowledged it publicly. Rane, who had left the Shiv Sena and joined the Congress, is a disgruntled leader since his claim to the chief minister’s post was ignored by the party high command. He could not stake his claim to the leader of the opposition as he had lost the assembly elections.
He has publically expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of the Congress Party on the floor of the house. He says that the Congress attack on the BJP-Shiv Sena government lack conviction and force. It is going to take longer to unite and challenge the BJP-led government in Maharashtra. The party is also not very happy with the Sharad Pawar- led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) since NCP is having its independent policies towards the BJP and the Shiv Sena. The Congress is also upset over growing closeness between Sharad Pawar and PM Narendra Modi.
Ashok Chavan has decided to give programme to the party cadre to activate district units. The MPCC has asked District Congress Committees (DCC) to organize Sampark Abhiyan in their districts to campaign against the state and union BJP ministers and expose their corruption cases. The 100-day programme will be launched on August 9, the day Gandhiji had launched “Quit India” movement in 1942 against the British government. The party has also stalled business of both the houses during the monsoon session to demand resignations from tainted ministers. Chavan has already appointed observers for each assembly constituency to ensure participation by sitting as well as former MLAs of the party in the programme.
The Congress hopes to cash on disillusionment of voters and raise corruption issues on the floor of the house as well as take them to the streets. By revamping the organization, the Congress wants to improve health of the party in Maharashtra.
