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At Chintan Shivir, Congress leaders bat for regional pact over national alliance
The Congress must strive to ally with the dominant non-NDA party in a state, said a section of the party leaders.
NEW DELHI: With just two years left for the 2024 national elections, the Congress’ Chintan Shivir saw overwhelming support for alliance with regional parties, with many leaders suggesting state-level pacts over national alignment.
The political committee of the Shivir discussed alliance over two days. Even as polarisation and rising communalisation remained the two hot topics, the question of alliance nevertheless found voices both in favour and against poll pacts.
Leaders including Abhishek Singhvi, Pramod Tewari and Prithviraj Chavan argued that the time is too short for the Congress to adopt an ‘Ekla cholo re’ model. Many pro-alliance leaders suggested that the party must try to enter into pacts only at the state-level as regional parties have their influence confined to certain areas and not across the nation.
“Our suggestion was that the Congress must strive to ally with the dominant non-NDA (National Democratic Alliance) party in a state. We added that while everyone wants the Congress to be able to fight on its own and revive at the grassroots, but on the limited issue of electoral tactics, we don’t have enough time to shun alliance and go Ekla cholo re,” said a leader.
A senior leader, however, pointed out that the party would not enter into alliances blindly. “Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has already announced in Telangana that the Congress will fight on its own and there is no scope of a poll pact with the TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samithi) even as the party has now positioned itself as anti-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party).”
A pro-alliance leader argued that the push for pacts with dominant partners is actually aimed at choosing alliance partners more carefully. He argued that in West Bengal, the party didn’t gain any seat in an alliance with the Left. “We should have tried for a pact with Trinamool,” he said.
Another leader, however, acknowledged that picking alliance partners is easier said than done. “In UP, Samajwadi Party refused an alliance with the Congress. and now, with the emergence of AAP (Aam Aadmi Party), some parties might see an alternative to the Congress.”
The leaders opposing pacts, was led by leader from Bihar. They argued that for long term goals, the Congress needs to be strengthened.
The discussions of the political committee, according to one member, have been primarily focused on the social tensions and polarisation. “All of us were of the view that the Congress must not go on a defensive but take on the BJP over issues of polarisation,” said another member.
