Finally, the outcome is loud and clear. The grand-old party has failed to counter the juggernaut of PM Narendra Modi. Surely, Rahul Gandhi faces imminent jibes tomorrow at the CWC but more than that, this was a historic defeat that beholds the entire opposition to litmus test.
Congress, on its own, has done better than its performance in 2014. Until the success in assembly elections of Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, no party worker or leader was able to hope for the party's revival. When it did happen, ambitious acrimony for sops led to the party's debacle again.
The vivid lack of committed cadre and young leadership in every state, disorganised party structure, intermittent success followed by repeated failures over the last five years have made the party realise its inherent shortcomings. Nonetheless, 2019 BJP victory has given Congress an enviable lesson to learn.
The formation of Congress-led governments in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka despite limited majority have given BJP enough ground to muster its own cadre and supporters to counter the emerging wave in favour of Congress, especially its leader Rahul Gandhi.
Here, BJP's excellent control over the media channels helped it pass on the message quickly and decisively. All means of communication -- media, news and direct communication via its own cadre, social media channels, roping in influencers, local leaders, group heads, TV channels and media houses -- fell in line within a span of just two months to carry forward BJP's message to the last voter.
Congress, evidently, failed miserably to sense the online social media onslaught as its over-ambitious comminication leads jumped the ship when the battle was in the mid-sea. Since, the cadre-less Congress Party failed to counter inner shortcomings and withstand outside attacks, all its weapons of criticism ranging from Rafale to NYAY, failed to deliver.
Secondly, Priyanka Gandhi's entry in February raised many eyebrows but the party failed to project her as another Indira Gandhi, despite suggestions and pleadings from many corners. By not fielding her against Modi in Varanasi, the party has lost one major opportunity to strengthen her stature.
The discipline in a party comes with restrictions and Amit Shah has shown how age factor, retirement and non-inheritance of political legacy by family members could make BJP different. Impressed with these cosmetic but very effective tools of discipline, common voters fell for the glitter.
No wonder, Rahul Gandhi needs to wait for five more years, but surely, he has time to rebuild the age old party and structure it the way BJP did.
