They may not have succeeded in removing garibi but the garib has been hataoed. In a subtle but significant shift, the Congress has replaced its theme slogan, Congress ka haath, garib ke saath with Congress ka haath, aam aadmi ke saath. Congress leaders admit that the substitution of garib (poor) with aam aadmi (common man) is part of an overall shift in strategy, following the debacle in the Assembly elections in December 2003. The earlier slogan, prominently used in the December campaign, served to ‘‘limit’’ the Congress’ appeal for two reasons. First, large sections of the urban, semi-urban, and emergent rural middle class—who are already veering to the BJP—were left out of the Congress’s ambit. By focussing on the garib, the Congress was seen as a backward looking party still wrapped up in its quasi-socialist past. Second, and more important, the experience in tribal and Dalit-dominated areas of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh showed that the profile of the garib too had changed. Caught in the aspiration revolution, the poor do not like to identify themselves as garib anymore and the slogan had a patronising and pessimistic air about it. These inputs are believed to have played a role in the new advertising campaign conceptualised by the party’s core group overseeing ‘‘election management’’ and implemented by advertising agency, Orchid. Jairam Ramesh, a key member of the core group, said the decision to focus on aam aadmi was a ‘‘spontaneous’’ one. ‘‘We were discussing the India Shining campaign and asked—Does it shine for the man in Laxmibai Nagar? Aakhir aam aadmi ko kya mila hain? That’s how it came about.’’ But senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee concedes that it reflects a conscious shift. ‘‘The Congress is not an exclusive party. It has always been an inclusive party and wants to bring everyone under its ambit.’’ Congress ideologue Devendra Dwivedi says it should not be seen as an ideological shift but as ‘‘a response to the changes that have taken place in the last 30 years or so.’’ From the 1950s to 1970s, ‘‘poverty was a central aspect of the national situation and removal of poverty was the central theme.’’ But the next two decades have seen a great deal of development and growth, and the Congress’s main theme is ‘‘growth with equity.’’ The words ‘‘common man,’’ he says, has a far more inclusive air and includes every one except the rich. The slogan, in fact, only reflects the two main elements of the new strategy: move away from a negative campaign; and replace a top down approach with a "ground up" one. As part of the "ground up" approach, the Congress campaign will focus on small towns and district headquarters rather than the metros. The advertisement campaign too is ‘‘consciously focusing on the regional media,’’ Ramesh said.
