“Only those who risk going too far can discover how far they can go.” – TS Eliot
But Congress has not been through this and continues to play it safe. And this aversion to risk is more evident nowhere than in West Bengal. The State has seen two phases of the polls culminate and in both the Congress was conspicuous by its absence or by its lethargic attitude. A few sporadic campaigns and press conferences aside, most congressional leaders have remained elusive.
The state chairman of the Congress party, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, has mainly focused on his own territory under his Lok Sabha constituency of Murshidabad and some parts of Howrah.
Congress is in alliance with the ISF and the left in the state and is competing for 92 seats out of a total of 294. In the first two phases, Congress competed for 13 seats, but one hardly saw high-level leaders coming to do. Bell. State manager Jitin Prasada was almost a lone ranger with a few others who came by from time to time.
Leading Congressional sources say that while an extensive list of star activists has been drawn up for each phase, attention will focus only on the last three phases in which the party has a significant presence. A congressional leader said: “We will not waste energy where we have no presence. We will bring all of our stars in the later phases where we have bets. ”
This is in stark contrast to the BJP style. Said a leader of the G23 (a group of 23 dissident congressional leaders): “A few years ago, the BJP was a nobody in Bengal. But did they stay at that? And today they are the main challengers. They never play it safe. They take risks and it pays off. Over time, they emerge as main challengers and also create the perception that all choices are important and that they are fighters. Congress cannot live a cottony existence. The rules of the game have changed “.
One more reason Gandhis, especially Rahul Gandhi, stay away is because an alliance with the left in Bengal collides with Congressional opposition in Kerala. He stayed away from the joint Samyukt Morcha rally in Kolkata because he wanted to play safe, he said.
Another problem that has arisen is Adhir’s discontent with the ISF alliance. He fears it could eat up his minority vote bank in Murshidabad, and if successful, it could lead to problems for him in the Lok Sabha polls.
Until now, Congress has not even campaigned for its allies. For example, Meenakshi Mukherjee, Nandigram’s left-wing candidate, was seen facing off alone with her painting. The flags of Congress were not in sight.
The congressional play it safe has posed a problem for the leadership of the state. Those who decided to stay in the party despite many joining the TMC and the BJP wonder what the point is to be in the party that is inactive. One MLA said: “The TMC took more than half of the 44 MLA we have. Some joined the BJP. We are with the Congress but look at our party. They don’t want to attack Mamata. They don’t want to take risks. “
It was this feedback that pushed Congress to finally attack the TMC. At a Jaiveer Shergill press conference, a soccer ball was used to show that Mamata Banerjee had played with people from West Bengal.
The state in charge of Congress, Jitin Prasada, rejects comments from Congress that he walks away from a fight. He said, “Many of us are here. How can you say that we are not campaigning? ”.
In politics, you have to be like a woodpecker. Keep pecking at the wood until you make the space. Congress has yet to start pecking in earnest.
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