I write for News Central 24*7 on what the Congress ought to do, to rebuild

A few days ago it was D-Day in Karnataka. A bitterly fought campaign, a massive turnout, and then the verdict. Who did the people choose? The answer is not clear-cut. That the Congress with wins in 78 seats has lost is clear. But no one else has won either. The Congress polled the most number of votes, the BJP won the most number of seats – and that is where it stands.

The BJP has 104 seats in a 224-house legislature, and the Congress JD(S) combine has 115 seats. The Governor, a political appointee, and a known Modi loyalist decided to swear in BS Yeddyurappa as CM, and get him to prove his strength on the floor of the house. But, it isn’t over yet.

Both sides are hiding away their MLAs in resorts, under guard, to ensure that the other side doesn’t poach them. Both sides hope to form the next government. Only one will. And the Governor, Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala, would be under tremendous pressure, caught between his former team and his current duties, to make the right decision.

To be fair, whichever decision he makes will be questioned. But, what seems apparent is that either Yeddyurappa or Kumaraswamy will be the next Chief Minister. The CM will not be from the Congress. And, that should rankle the Congress; the number of states under its control is rapidly dwindling. Unless it can stem the tide, and check the fall, it is going to be an even smaller party, with an even smaller sphere of power and influence.

What does the Congress need to rebuild, not to be the opposition but to be in power? The party has to transform itself into a modern 21st century political organisation.

In a way, the problem with the Congress is that it seems to have a structure that was best suited for when it was the single largest party in the country, controlling the government at all levels. A bit like being the single largest employer, which is the single biggest company in a closed economy.

A problem with an organisation like that is that the middle management, sooner or later, becomes a barrier to excellence, market responsiveness, and winning. They clog the system with their egos, till the organisation loses focus on the external market, and spends time sorting out intrapersonal issues, which have nothing to do with the marketplace. Many Indian companies, post liberalisation, faced this problem. Those that resolved them survived. Those that didn’t limped along, or died.

The Congress was the behemoth that dominated the political landscape all the way from Independence to the mid-eighties. The trouble with being that big, is that the Congress didn’t notice the smaller parties growing under the mighty shadow of its limbs. And those parties were ground-up parties, with a firm understanding of grass roots politics- a knowledge that the Congress had but allowed to wither away. Many of its brightest and best left, realising that there was no room for them to rise. What remained was the party that we see today. Today, that is the Congress’ biggest weakness.

Unlike the BJP, which is a cadre-based party and is able to recognise and promote talent ground up, the Congress comes across as a loose association of people, who have no firm ties with each other or the party. For revival, the nature of recruitment has to change. The INC must proactively embrace recruitment of fresh blood, and energy into the party at all levels. Especially the grassroots. Unless they can get enough numbers at the booth level, it is going to be an uphill task.

The Congress must put forth a vision of India that goes beyond platitudes. It must be a vision that is a broad umbrella under which many different interest tribes, and political beliefs can congregate. The Congress’s greatest advantage was the plurality of beliefs that it accommodated, right from its inception till the end of the Nehruvian era. Independence was a very strong vision. But that vision has served its use. Today, there needs to be a vision that challenges, inspires, and engages the people of India to associate with the party.

The Congress’ idea of India cannot be the idea of India

It must be much more specific than that. Overused words like secular, or inclusive, mean nothing to most people. The Congress has to find its purpose again, and communicate this purpose to voters. That purpose is not winning elections. That purpose is the actions it hopes to take to deliver its vision.

What is that vision of India?

And, finally, it needs to decentralise. There is just too much power concentrated in far-away Delhi. India is a federation, and each state has its own unique needs and requirements, composition, and flavour. At the state there must be leadership that can be seen as providing a viable alternative. It has been four years since the Congress lost Maharashtra. I am not sure the voters know who the Congress leadership is or what it stands for. Unless you have a core state-level leadership, you cannot rebuild. Unless you rebuild, you can’t win districts. Unless you win districts, you can’t win the state. Unless you win states, you can’t win the centre. We don’t vote at the central level, we vote at the booth. This is what the Congress needs to focus on.

Harini Calamur works at the intersection of digital content, technology, and audiences. She is a writer, filmmaker, and teacher, and tweets at @calamur.