BackCongress on the defensive ahead of assembly elections
Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi choose to negatively target the BJP instead of spinning a more positive message
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New Delhi: Less than six months after its rout in the general election, the Congress party’s leadership continues to be on the defensive.
Consequently, on the campaign trail in Haryana as well as in Maharashtra, both party president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi have preferred to negatively target the Congress’s principal rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), instead of spinning a more positive message by dwelling on the development work of its government in both states.
Rahul Gandhi addressed two rallies in Mahad and Latur in Maharashtra on Wednesday. “People say nothing happened in 60 years and only one man can take us ahead," he said in an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“In doing so, they are questioning Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. They are also questioning you, your parents. This country has not progressed because of one person but because of what you all have done."
Experts believe this “negative campaigning" is not drawing traction.
“Their rhetoric is not working. There is no ‘why’ part in their speeches—why should they come to power again, why should they be voted—this is what is critically missing," N. Bhaskara Rao, a New Delhi-based political analyst, said.
While Rahul Gandhi, 44, did talk about Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan’s clean image and work done by the government, the emphasis was more on attacking the BJP’s “marketing" and for its failure to respond adequately against cross-border shelling by Pakistan and infiltration by China.
“When they say nothing has been done in last 60 years, they are questioning you, the common man," he said at another rally at Ausa in Latur later in the day.
The Congress recently broke its 15-year old alliance with the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The party is struggling to retain its hold on the state where it won just two out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the April-May general election as opposed to 17 in 2009.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s speeches in Haryana too have focused on the BJP’s campaign, where she has accused the party of showing “false dreams and empty promises" to the voters.
“Their speeches are no different from their campaigning in the Lok Sabha election. There needs to be an element of local touch, local concerns; however, the only thing they seem to be concerned about is their opposition," Rao said.
Voting is due to take place in Maharashtra and Haryana on 15 October; the counting of votes is set for 19 October.
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