Voter Confidence

Defying predictions of a political battering after the Mumbai terror strikes and the economic slowdown, the Congress managed to put up an impressive show in the Assembly elections and was set to form governments in Delhi, Rajasthan and Mizoram.

Defying predictions of a political battering after the Mumbai terror strikes and the economic slowdown, the Congress managed to put up an impressive show in the Assembly elections and was set to form governments in Delhi, Rajasthan and Mizoram. The BJP, on the other hand, shut out anti-incumbency to retain Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

In Delhi, Sheila Dikshit achieved the rare feat of becoming only the third Congress Chief Minister to win a third consecutive term 8212; Vasantrao Naik of Maharashtra 1963-75 and Mohan Lal Sukhadia of Rajasthan 1954-71 being the other two. There was elation in the Congress camp over the Delhi verdict. 8220;Winning Delhi is like winning India,8221; said AICC media cell chairperson M Veerappa Moily.

But shortly after it became clear that the Congress was going to form governments in three states, party president Sonia Gandhi sent out a clear message: no celebrations. And so the AICC headquarters at 24, Akbar Road wore a somewhat subdued look 8212; no firecrackers, no drumbeating, no sloganeering.

Hailing the party victory in three states, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said people had recognised and voted for development.

But in the Congress camp, there was no mistaking the look of relief on faces of party general secretaries like Digvijay Singh and Prithviraj Chavan who remained glued to TV sets. After the 2006 Nainital conclave, which was attended by 14 party CMs, the count had dwindled to nine, including four from the small states of Manipur, Puducherry, Goa and Arunachal Pradesh. Two more were added today 8212; Rajasthan and Mizoram. With the fall of the Vasundhara Raje government in Rajasthan, all eyes were now on Ashok Gehlot who emerged as the Congress frontrunner for the CM8217;s post after PCC chief C P Joshi, another contender, lost by just one vote in Nathdwara. In Mizoram, Lalthanhawla was set to take charge, the Congress ending ten years of MNF rule.

While the results put a question mark over the electoral impact of inflation and terror as potent issues, the Congress was acutely aware that it had failed to exploit anti-incumbency in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. BJP8217;s Shivraj Singh Chouhan did exceedingly well in Madhya Pradesh, trouncing the Congress and in Chhattisgarh, Raman Singh warded off the Congress challenge to retain power.

Congress leaders dismissed queries about the possibility of early general elections though a section of the party was in favour of polls as early as February, pointing to the global financial meltdown and saying its impact was likely to worsen.

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But other leaders raised the issue of 8220;public anger against Pakistan8221; 8212; even AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi had raised this issue at the recent Congress Working Committee meeting. As results poured in, party leaders debated 8220;options8221; against Pakistan, eager that the government come up with a concrete plan.

Some leaders were worried about how the party failed to translate UPA government8217;s flagship programmes, including the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Bharat Nirman and Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, into votes. While state governments had 8220;successfully sold their development works8221;, the ambitious Central schemes failed as a poll plank. In Madhya Pradesh, even Union Ministers like Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia failed to deliver in their respective strongholds of Gwalior and Chhindwara.