Congress under fire: Ignoring INDIA bloc where it’s strong

New Delhi: The formation of the INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition parties, was touted as a key move to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in this year's Lok Sabha elections. However, recent electoral moves by the Congress have raised concerns among its coalition partners.

It has become evident that Congress has shown reluctance to tie up with significant allies in crucial state elections where it believes it is well-positioned to challenge the BJP. This strategy has been seen by many as a display of arrogance on the part of Congress.

Madhya Pradesh and Haryana serve as glaring examples of the Congress sidelining its coalition partners. Congress ruled out an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) in MP and sparked controversy when Kamal Nath responded dismissively to questions about a pact with Akhilesh Yadav: “Are bhai chhoro Akhilesh Vakhilesh” (leave questions on Akhilesh).

Observers remark that such comments reflected Kamal Nath’s overconfidence resulting from the assumption that the Congress could have defeated the BJP on its own in MP.

Similarly, Congress did not allocate any seats for the SP in Haryana, as a result of which Akhilesh’s party state unit accused Congress of failing to fulfil its responsibilities as a partner in the INDIA alliance.

Moreover, Congress ignored the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), another constituent of the bloc, believing it could secure victories independently without accommodating Arvind Kejriwal’s party. The analysts now say that this “dismissive approach” has raised eyebrows about Congress’ commitment to the coalition. The grand old party lost both states following which it is set to be under fire from its partners.

On the basis of past behaviour and strategy, analysts say that Congress tends to opt for an independent approach, sidelining coalition partners of the bloc. Kamal Nath's dismissive comments regarding Akhilesh Yadav—"Kaun Akhilesh Vakhilesh?"—illustrate a trend of Congress’s diminishing regard for its partners.

This also shows a pattern: a willingness to go solo when it feels confident, but at the expense of broader unity against the ruling party.

Observers are now questioning whether Congress will repeat the same strategy in upcoming elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand too. The party's track record suggests a tendency to give primacy to its own ambitions over the collective strength of the opposition. If Congress continues with this strategy, it may facilitate the ruling party's success in elections by dividing the opposition vote, say analysts.

The implications of these moves extend beyond immediate electoral outcomes. They could signal a rift within the INDIA bloc, putting at risk the collective front that is essential for challenging a well-organised ruling party.