New Delhi: The Congress urgently needs to overhaul its election strategy after the BJP-led Mahayuti’s landslide victory in Maharashtra. Despite anti-incumbency against the ruling coalition, the MVA managed just 50 seats, while the Mahayuti pocketed 231—a crushing blow that reflects strategic disarray within the Opposition.
Congress Fails To Grasp Electoral Success
The Congress contested 76 of Maharashtra's 288 assembly seats, with 36 in the crucial Vidarbha belt. Banking on farmer distress to sway voters, it failed to grasp that electoral success demands more than passive reliance on grievances. Instead of crafting a cohesive, voter-centric narrative, the Congress fell back on generic rhetoric about saving the Constitution and championing a caste census— themes embraced by Rahul Gandhi but disconnected from grassroots concerns.
The result: A six per cent swing from Congress to the BJP. The debacle stems partly from Rahul Gandhi's detached leadership. Focused on campaigning for his sister Priyanka, he left Maharashtra’s fate to local leaders with clashing agendas.
Nana Patole’s insistence on being the Congress’ chief ministerial face— a claim dismissed by allies— exemplified the lack of unity. Sharad Pawar’s suggestion of Uddhav Thackeray as the coalitions CM candidate, leveraging the Thackeray family’s sympathy factor, was ignored, further undermining the MVA’s appeal.
BJP Displays Its Trademark Electoral Discipline
The BJP, by contrast, displayed its trademark electoral discipline. With vast financial resources— claims of Rs 1 lakh crore spent in the final months abound—it orchestrated a finely tuned campaign. Reports suggest cash payouts of up to Rsb5,000 per voter were rampant. Beyond money, targeted schemes like Ladki Bahin Yojana, offering Rs1,500 monthly to women voters, and insurance benefits for farmers, consolidated support.
The Congress’ failures extended to its campaign apparatus. Ground-level workers lacked both resources and strategic direction from state and central leadership. Meanwhile, the BJP refined its outreach, deploying panna pracharaks and exploiting micro-level data to rally voters effectively. Communal polarisation added to BJP’s advantage.
CM Yogi Adityanath’s incendiary slogan "Batenge toh Katenge" and PM Modi’s softer "Ham Ek Hain To Safe Hain" reinforced majoritarian narratives, galvanising the BJP base. Congress’s call for a caste census was weaponised against it, with BJP courting OBC and Dalit voters through targeted outreach while fragmenting Opposition votes by fielding rebels and independents.
The Maharashtra verdict underscores the Congress’ inability to match BJP’s electoral sophistication. Until it addresses this gap—combining unity, narrative clarity, and grassroots organisation—it risks remaining an alsoran in India’s electoral battles.
