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Shell-shocked Cong broods on what went wrong
Published on Mon, May 26, 2008 at 08:45 in India section
Tags: Assembly Elections 2008, Karnataka , New Delhi
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New Delhi: A day after their humiliating defeat, it's time for the Congress to introspect on what gave the BJP an edge and it seems not all party leaders agree on the reasons for the loss.
Union Science & Technology Minister, Kapil Sibal made a candid admission when he stated: "BJP had in Yeddyurappa, a Lingayat leader who all of Central Karnataka voted for."
The BJP's decision to choose a candidate well in advance and project him as the chief ministerial candidate worked in the party's favour, but the Congressman in charge of elections in Karnataka, Prithviraj Chauhan chose to differ.
"We don't project leaders till after the election. It is our party decision. If we wanted to project S M Krishna, we would have, but we wanted to keep social coalition intact," he stated.
And this statement by Chauhan summed up the Congress's predicament in a state many would have expected them to win hands down, it's leaders pulling the organistation in different directions.
Unlike them, the BJP had a leader in party General Secretary, Arun Jaitley who micro-managed the elections for his party — a party that spoke in one voice, burying differences within.
"One part of our campaign was against the politics of opportunism where the losers of the last election — the Congress and JD(S) — tried to form a government," Jaitley said.
Both Jaitley and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj — who campaigned extensively in Karnataka — agree that projecting a chief ministerial candidate proved vital for the party.
"Projecting Yeddyurappa as a chief ministerial candidate was beneficial, especially as he looked after the interest of the poor and farmers," said Sushma Swaraj.
The unexpected defeat in Karnataka has left the Congress shell-shocked. The drubbing comes less than a year before the general elections. Now, the Congress must pin its hopes on the Assemlby polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chatishgarh, where it expects anti-incumbency against the BJP will work in their favour.
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