Not taking the predictions of exit polls into account, it is a foregone conclusion that the Delhi Legislative Assembly will see an Aam Aadmi Party or a Bharatiya Janata Party government.
The Congress was not in the race to form government, however, it is already hoping to secure a vote share in double digits, without securing a single seat in the 70 member house.
Questions must be asked to the Congress leadership on why after 11 years of anti incumbency against both AAP and BJP, the grand old party is satisfied with a bad electoral performance repeatedly.
Sources in the party also raised questions as to why no accountability has been fixed on Haryana and Maharashtra defeats yet? Why no organizational changes have been made yet, despite repeated losses faced by the grand old party?
“Unless responsibility of leaders is fixed and heads made to roll, the Congress doesn’t stand a chance if reemerging in the states where it has ceded its political space to AAP, ” sources said.
Many leaders in the Delhi unit feel that if the Congress’ top leaders had taken a decision to oppose Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP a few months ago, the situation of the party would have been much better.
“The delayed decision to bring in top leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for campaign has cost the party dearly. We could have simply targeted securing 15 percent votes and an aim of securing 5 seats. However, the indecisiveness has ensured that Congress is no where in the contest,” sources added.
Results for the 70 member Delhi Legislative Assembly are scheduled to be declared on February 8.
The Congress party’s local leadership and cadre is desperate to regain the vote bank and lost glory of the party in the national capital. The refrain amongst Delhi Congress leaders is that AAP needs to be finished to secure the Congress’ political space in Delhi and Punjab.
A similar sentiment is echoed by Congress leaders across various states, where the Congress is playing second fiddle to regional parties. And most of these leaders want the party to reclaim the political stature that Congress deserves, being the outfit that ruled the nation and majority of its states for over five decades.
