It almost seems futile to write a column with suggestions for the Congress, for it is likely to be ignored. Some in the Congress may even agree with the suggestions and wish they were implemented. However, the biggest ignorer of good suggestions in India right now is the Congress party’s High Command, comprising of the Congress’ first family. For there have been hundreds of articles, thousands of memes and millions of tweets telling the first family what to do to get their party out of this massive mess that seems to get worse every month. And yet, the High Command keep a Zen-like poise, as they go about their lives ignoring all such well-meaning suggestions. It takes enormous level of privilege, entitlement, and self-assurance to think none of what the hoi-polloi say matter. Yes, the Congress high command does try to do their own thing to bring the BJP down and improve their position. They tweet. They criticize Modi. They cut out all dissenters in the party. Sometimes, they even offer themselves up for arrest. And yet, none of it really works. The few times the Congress does win state or local elections, it is often due to a strong regional leader or massive anti-incumbency. The High Command could have justified their ignoring everyone on earth if their own strategies worked. They don’t. And yet they refuse to try anything different.
It’s come to a point where even some BJP supporters want the Congress to do better. It could be that they care for democracy, and a reasonable opposition is important to counter-balance the ruling party. Some of it could also be because politics is no fun without a real fight. Imagine a boxing ring where a 98-kg champion and beast of a fighter comes in to fight a 38-kg lightweight and knocks them out in seconds, every single time! How many people would be still interested in watching that match? And how long will people be enamored of the 98-kg champion? At some point, even the champions fans will feel bad for the 38-kg lightweight. They may go to the lightweight and give him nutrition tips. But of course, as always, the 38-kg lightweight will walk away in an arrogant huff.
Hence, in that spirit, here are some (probably wasted) unconventional suggestions for the Congress, on what they can do right now. Of course, only the Congress high command can make these suggestions work. No Congress group like G-23, G-230 or G-2300 can help.
- Find the next-gen Manmohan Singh – It’s become obvious that the Gandhis will neither give up power nor will they work for the party full time or put in the work required to lead a national party for 1.4billion people. They need a face, which a) holds some (but not huge) appeal for people but will be ultimately b) predictable, c) work really hard and d) extraordinarily loyal to the family. Maybe that’s what they erroneously thought when they roped in Mr. Sidhu. But Mr. Sidhu is no Dr Manmohan Singh, even though they are both proud Sikhs. Mr. Sidhu has a mind and thought process of his own and is not designed to be controlled. Get a Manmohan Singh 2.0, smart, acceptable yet docile and compliant. Search and thou shall find, within the party itself. Then project his face, and the family can step back a little (only a little, of course).
- Get back NYAY scheme – Welfare schemes cost a lost, don’t often make great economic sense but boy do they pull in votes! In the last Lok Sabha election, Congress’s NYAY scheme promising Rs72,000/year to low-income families was gaining traction. However, the Congress switched gears to the Rafale jet scam that went nowhere. Congress is not the party to expose scams (c’mon, you know why). Congress can however, out-welfare the ruling party as one can promise anything sitting in opposition while the ruling party still must be responsible. Bonus Tip: Make the 72,000 as 100,001. One lakh sounds way better and Indians like shagan ending in 1. How will we pay for it? Oh, come on, don’t ask such boring economic conclave type questions!
- Go to Punjab, address the Punjabi people, and fix the mess – Enough has been written about the Punjab chaos. However, misplaced the high-command’s thinking was, there must have been a logic (one hopes) to what was done in Punjab in terms of replacing the CM and sending in Mr. Sidhu. Come clean on it. Pick your choices. Assure the state you got their back. You can’t lose Punjab.
Politics is about winning and keeping power. In that sense, one can’t blame the family from trying to hold on to the same. However, even keeping that goal in mind, there’s a lot the high command to improve their situation. Let’s at least have a 98-kg vs 68-kg match. Watching a 38-kg lightweight get pummeled every single time is frankly no fun!