The mocking contender: With 0 seats in Delhi polls, Congress in no position to comment on other parties

Bengaluru: On the 11th of February, when Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP won a gargantuan 62 out of 70 seats and BJP won just 8, there was one interesting development that many might have missed. 

Even as the BJP humbly accepted defeat, the Congress, which scored a successive duck was happy that the AAP had won and the BJP had lost. In fact, MP CM Kamal Nath had no qualms in accepting that they did not have any hopes and instead, questioned the BJP. 

On the same day, former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram also put out a tweet saying the bluff and bluster of BJP had lost. 

AAP won, bluff and bluster lost. The people of Delhi, who are from all parts of India, have defeated the polarising, divisive and dangerous agenda of the BJP

I salute the people of Delhi who have set an example to other states that will hold their elections in 2021 and 2022

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 11, 2020

But another Congress leader Sharmishtha Mukherjee did not hold her thoughts back and went on to question Chidambaram and the needless gloating over the BJP losing rather than introspecting. 

With due respect sir, just want to know- has @INCIndia outsourced the task of defeating BJP to state parties? If not, then why r we gloating over AAP victory rather than being concerned abt our drubbing? And if ‘yes’, then we (PCCs) might as well close shop! https://t.co/Zw3KJIfsRx

— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) February 11, 2020

Truth to tell, the BJP may have won only 8 seats, but that is an increase by 5 seats. In the final 2 weeks that led to the Delhi elections, it was former party chief Amit Shah who took up the responsibility of intensifying the campaign and the BJP did well as it gained a bigger vote share.

Leaving BJP aside for a moment, why has the Congress not taken any step to improve its prospects? 

Well, there are certainly no secrets to hide. One, the party cadres are not happy with the Gandhis ruling them. 

Though, after the Lok Sabha drubbing, Rahul Gandhi quit, the party continues with the same script. It is Sonia Gandhi who leads them now. But sources tell us that Rahul Gandhi will be back at the helm of affairs in March. 

The cadres feel extremely debilitated that the party reins are always concentrated in the hands of dynasty rulers. 

Blooding youngsters who have talent is the only key to the revival of Congress. For those who argue that Rahul Gandhi too is young, it is an open secret that he lacks maturity and often ends up scoring self-goals. 

And for his sister Priyanka Gandhi, it is touted that she takes dictations from her husband Robert Vadra. 

So the panacea for the Congress lies not in laughing at the troubles of others, but go back to the drawing table and reinvent itself, with a patient hearing to the younger section.