Why the Congress needs to keep its partners happy

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May 2009. A day before counting for Lok Sabha polls, Sonia was spotted coming out of a swanky shopping complex. She had bought sarees from her favourite store and had a quiet lunch.

October 2009. Hours before counting was to begin for Haryana, Hooda was caught by cameras enjoying a badminton match.

Going by the unexpected results, Sonia seemed to have earned her rendezvous. While Hooda's match missed some points, the Congress was let struggling for help to form a government.

As results for Haryana began pouring in, Sonia's thoughts must have gone to former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Rajashekhar Reddy. He had promised in the run-up to state elections in 2009 that he would come back with a larger margin. Sonia had given him a free hand and he had delivered, a point raised by Sonia herself at her condolence speech after YSR's death.

Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, too, had promised Sonia that he would beat anti-incumbency and put at least 60 seats on her plate. Hooda was given a free hand much like YSR was. Unfortunately, Hooda could not do a YSR. Worse, he had given Sonia to believe that there was no opposition in Haryana. The INLD and Chautala have bounced back. Hooda, too, has come back as chief minister but his stocks are clearly down. For a change a usually guarded Sonia had underestimated the opposition.

Sonia gave Hooda the job but in a manner which only 10 Janpath, can. By making him realise that he owed his chair not to his clout and shrewd political skills but to Sonia. Gratitude to 10 Janpath, would have to be ingrained in his governance for the next five years.

A strongman has been humbled. But not just in Haryana. In Maharashtra too, Sonia delivered the same message to Vilasrao. He was important but not so much that he could lobby with 10 Janpath. So when a keen Vilasrao used every powerful contact of his in Delhi to send the message that he should be counted in, in the race for the chief minister's chair, a curt directive came from Sonia: he would have to opt out.

Flushed with victory, it is easy for the Congress to feel smug. In fact, just a day after counting, elections were announced in Jharkhand. Congress leaders have already begun telling us that there, too, there is nothing to fear. Agreed that Jharkhand is not a high stake state but an election is an election and one victory could actually help the opposition to cobble an united front.

But in Haryana and Maharashtra victory, the Congress should not miss the warning signs. In Haryana, the seats which voted against the Congress are more than the ones which voted for it. Life's simple rule that an enemy should never be underestimated has been taught. But such is the arrogance in the party that no one is thinking about it.

In Maharashtra a weak and divided opposition helped the Congress. The Congress played its cards well. The NCP has been humbled, making the Congress think that akela cholo re is possible.

In 2004, the Congress experimented with coalition politics for the first time. But its old habit of walking alone and dadagiri could not be reigned in for long. So, in Uttar Pradesh, it decided to go alone. It plans to do the same in Jharkhand by dumping Shibu Soren and the JMM. In Tamil Nadu, too it is tempted to do the same and some are already plotting to convince Sonia that the DMK should be given up on.

Let's not forget Arunachal in all this. This little state has taught a big lesson. None of the Gandhis could campaign there due to bad weather. The chief minister Dorjee Khandu was not demanding, very low-profile but determined. This should teach a neta especially a Congres one a thing or two. That work usually yields results. That big things often come in small sizes.

Is the country then heading for a one-party rule? Hope not. For nothing can be worse than an unchecked, pompous Congress. History is testimony to that. The cleanliness freak Sonia should realise that there is a lot of cleaning up to be done in her party. Still.