By Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury
The author belongs to no party, but is a noted media academic and columnist. This is a possible roadmap for Rahul and Congress which is suggested if they have to win in 2019 along with their allies, and from their perspective.
First, Congress President needs to clearly state that his priority is not being the Prime Minister this time, but to unseat Modi government. And, that he is fine with any non RSS PM after the elections. But, the focus has to be on giving a non-BJP government and not declare a PM face now. It should be Modi versus India election with united opposition combating aggressive Hindutva espousing Modi-Shah-Adityanath troika. Rahul can wait for 2024 polls, if need be, but it is important to have a united opposition for the sake of Indian democracy.
Second, he needs to give a clear-cut brief to his Chief Ministers (Amrinder Singh, Kamalnath, Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel) and the Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy to get good governance going with visible quick results in these burning people’s issues: loan waiver to farmers executed, MSP to farmers’ produce, communal harmony in their states, filling up of all vacant government positions, bring in unemployment stipend and compulsory internship program for educated unemployed, ensuring strict and quick police action in cases of atrocities on women, quick visible development public health amenities through mohalla and village level primary health centres, ensuring polemics and critical politics and art to be expressed unhindered, declaring some big ticket infra-structural projects at the states level. Mere promises will not stand ground against the formidable Modi-Shah electoral machinery. Beginning has been done with the quick farm waivers, and needs to be taken forward with monthly meet of the Congress CMs with Rahul and Sonia to review progress.
Third, Rahul has to walk the extra mile to get Mamata, Mayawati, Akhilesh, Kejriwal and Naidu on board, and reach out to the galaxy of young leaders of parties and individuals like Tejaswi Yadav, Stalin, Jignesh Mevani, et al. No entitlement, no image of having arrived, but a possessed young leader wanting to protect the fabric of secular polity and the constitutional promise of secular, socialist, sovereign republic. Even independent farmers’ and workers’ and students’ leaders like Chandrasekhar, Shehla Rashid, Kanhaiya Kumar and many more. Allow every winning seat of the non-NDA parties and wherever they were second in 2014 to go to them, and for the others, have a benevolent upper hand. Absolutely important to leave at least 300 seats for others and take remaining 250 odd seats for Congress. Rather than taking too many seats, what is today important to fight NDA one-to-one and actually win. No touch-me-not with AAP or the Left, no avoidance of individual or community leaders with some base of their own. Rahul’s humility in the press conference after the win in the three assemblies was a telling and very positive moment.
Fourth, a very comprehensive Common Minimum Program needs to be thrashed out which spells the medium to long term measures to tackle agrarian crisis, to broad-base employment oriented education, to create a thriving SME and cottage industries engaging the larger number of rural youth, to create mechanisms along with the private sector to evolve paid internships leading jobs for the qualified and skilled manpower. The tribals, Dalits and minorities have had a bad deal for a long time in India, Congress or BJP, whoever had ruled, the situation in the last five years being worse. Hence, Forest Act, Tribal Protection Act, SC/ST Act etc need to assured forcefully for execution and a roadmap noted in CMP. Specific measures for education, security and employment of the girl child need to be included (Kanyashree of Bengal an example). And similar measures for public health going beyond a limited vision of health insurance of Ayushman Bharat scheme of Modi govt, opposition CMP focussing on public health infra-structure, medicines and medical manpower instead (Mohalla Clinics of Delhi an example).
Fifth, cultivating the legacy media through press conferences sometimes alone and often with a couple of tall leaders of other parties on one hand, and carrying forward the social media battle more vociferously which is going fine since the days of Gujarat polls. Continuous supply of data, images, memes, and spokes-persons with good content without falling prey to the BJP agenda or media traps of reaction-based visibility is the need for Rahul and Congress. Be accessible to media even if some lampoon. Those media will be exposed more with time and change.
Sixth, some big key messages need to be put up. One, protection of health of cattle livestock of India and cleaning of the Ganges: beat BJP in its own trumpeted agenda. Including keeping Ramjanmabhoomi dispute to the Court and promising to accept whatever decided. Second, jai jawan jai kisan jai yuvaan jai vigyan: focus on the farmers, soldiers, youths and sciences against obscurantism. Third, messaging love against hate and tension, which Rahul started effectively with the hug to Modi in the Lok Sabha. These key messages creatively communicated and seamlessly carried forward through offline, online, on air, on ground and on mobile platforms in a convergent manner with a single focus will change the narrative from ‘If not Modi, then Who?’ to ‘Modi versus India’.
Finally, announce the alliance in next 20 days, then CMP in the next 20 days, and finally candidates for all 545 seats in the subsequent 20 days, so that the candidates have full 60 more days to reach every household, and use every possible platform available to communicate what they and their parties stand for and what their alternative vision of India, different from the Sangh Parivar guided Modi-Shah disposition.
The author is a noted media academic and commentator, and is currently the Dean of Pearl Academy, and former Media Dean of Symbiosis and Amity Universities.
