New Delhi: As the country celebrated its 75th Independence Day, a sea of people – each proudly holding the tricolor – gathered on the streets of Bengaluru.
Seeing how BJP started nationwide.tricolor in every houseWith much fanfare campaigning in the days leading up to August 15, one might have first thought that it was an attempt at large-scale mobilization by the ruling party in Karnataka, which will go to polls early next year.
But the surprising thing is that it was a show of strength of the Congress.
Karnataka BJP i-day event saw one Estimated footfall off about 50,000 supportersWhile the Congress rally in Bengaluru – claim party leaders – saw the participation of around two-And half Lakh.
Even Congress leaders in Delhi were taken aback by the heavy turnout in the party’s seven-km-long independence march from the Sangoli Rayanna statue near Bengaluru City railway station to the National College ground in Basavanagudi.
A senior Congress leader told ThePrint on the condition of anonymity that we do not remember the last time the party had shown such a show anywhere in the country.
When asked about the idea behind the Independence Day Independence March, DK Shivakumar, President The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) said that this outreach is important.
“Voters can click a photo with you. They may say they never see you except when there is an election. They can yell at you. They can admire you. Anything can happen. But at least that way, there is a discussion between the leader and the voter,” he told ThePrint.
What is KPCC doing differently?
This brings us to the million-dollar question – what is the Karnataka Congress doing apart from the national leadership to consolidate the party’s fortunes?
Simply put, the answer is to prepare extensively in advance.
For example, as a preparation for the independence march, Shivakumar (60) embarked on a 15-day tour of the state to encourage more people to participate in the independence march.
The party bought over one lakh Bengaluru Metro tickets for the participants to travel free of cost and created a website to help those who register.
Further, to ensure that no tricolor is left untouched during the Independence March, 1,200 service team Volunteers were placed on the route to raise any flags that might have been thrown.
Bengaluru celebrates Independence Day with the Congress Party’s ‘Independence March’ – a march for freedom, for hope and for our pride.@DKShivakumar @INCKarnataka#IndiaAt75 pic.twitter.com/WbvUdLhUil
– Congress (@INCIndia) 15 August 2022
Comparing the KPCC rally with the preparations for the nationwide Bharat Jodi Yatra of the Congress, the difference becomes even deeper.
After months of planning, party leaders in Delhi said the rally would only have around 300 participants at any given time – surprisingly low for a party that still enjoys around 20 per cent of the national vote share in parliamentary elections.
What motivates the Congress to act differently in a state where power has been running alternately in every assembly election for the last 37 years?
“The Congress is different in Karnataka as the BJP is different in Karnataka,” said Bengaluru-based political analyst Sandeep Shastri.
Shastri called the “Karnataka unit” [of Congress] largely autonomous from the national leadership”.
Speaking about why the party’s central leadership needs to focus more on grassroots initiatives, Shivakumar pointed to the Congress’s three-month-long membership drive, during which he visited 100 assembly constituencies. Here too, by enrolling 78 lakh supporters, the Karnataka Congress managed to set a membership record attempted by any other Congress state unit.
Asked whether the post of Congress president – for which elections are near – would interest him, DK Shivakumar said he knew only “choda-thoda” (little) Hindi and therefore would not be suitable for the role.
Then he reiterated a quintessential Congress: “The Congress party cannot function without a Gandhi. Workers, leaders and people – no one will accept it.”
‘Nothing can be achieved without passion’
Congress leaders in Karnataka believe that unlike most other state units, they are checking three broad boxes: mass outreach, visible leadership and an enthusiastic, active cadre base.
Unlike in Delhi, the Congress has been able to put up a clear opposition to the BJP in Karnataka. For this purpose, Sivakumar hired DesignBoxed, A political advisory firm to carry out the party’s campaigns in the state about a year and a half ago.
But according to Shivakumar, the only way to keep party workers motivated is to “be seen as a leader”.
“If I had been sitting in my house during Covid, this would not have happened. I got covid twice and from the hospital I used to make zoom calls and discuss, give instructions.
“Any leader has to instill confidence in the minds of the workers. Nothing can be achieved without the spirit of struggle. concerned state [Congress units] is to be installed. I don’t want to comment on anyone’s efficiency.”
Shivakumar’s aide and senior Karnataka Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao agreed with the earlier assessment.
“The main thing is not to get bogged down in tweets and press conferences. If the leaders stop touring, stop going on the streets, stop raising ground issues, then both the workers and the public will lose their confidence. Every Karnataka Congress leader, be it me, or MB Patil or Dr G Parameshwara, takes this very seriously,” Gundu Rao told ThePrint.
Soon after he replaced Dinesh Gundu Rao. In May 2020 during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, KPCC chiefs, Sivakumar and Gundu Rao donated Rs. 1 crore each to facilitate free transport for migrants. This forced the then Yediyurappa government to announce free transport for migrants wishing to return to their native homes.
Karnataka Congress leaders in April 2020 purchase details Vegetables of farmers who were on the verge of ruining their produce. Then he sold the same vegetables to the needy at subsidized rates. “At that time, I went to the farmers, talked to them and asked all the Congressmen to buy that produce and distribute it to the people. It included grapes, beans, flowers, everything,” said Shivakumar.
Then came the Hangal Assembly by-election in November 2021 – a test for CM Basavaraj Bommai in his own backyard. Congress not only snatched this seat from BJP, but it fought such a battle that The deposit of the Janata Dal (Secular) candidate was forfeited.
Congress party sources said that when it comes to outreach, Through both physical and media, the Karnataka unit follows a “professional approach”.
“Each worker is given specific goals and it is verified whether they have met those goals or not. The workers work hard because they know their work report will go to the President and they will be in his good books,” said a party functionary on condition of anonymity.
road to 2023
He is eyeing the 2023 assembly elections. The KPCC is now focusing on three main issues targeting the BJP: corruption, governance and unemployment. During the campaignContribution of Congress in nation building will also be emphasized.
“We are sending crisp and short ingredients so that the common man can understand what we have done. On the other hand, we have not even compared it in terms of providing employment, not being able to control inflation, GST on goods etc. by Narendra Modi and BJP. Congress.
Besides, the literature related to the election has been adapted according to where it is being distributed, Patil said, at the same time KPCC is distributing a crisp four-five-page booklet at the booth level.
The Congress is also seeking the support of religious monasteries, which have a huge influence. “I am going to all the monasteries, big or small, and seeking blessings. BJP is trying to show that they are all with BJP. But they swami jiso Everyone is blessing us,” Patil told ThePrint.
KPCC communication in-charge MLA Priyank Kharge talked about the ‘Digital Youth a Booth’ policy, which aims to place a young “digital warrior” of the party in each booth.
He said, “We have nominated a young person who will be in charge of getting people on Zoom, getting people online for party activities, helping people register for membership, helping out for Covid and other things. “
Endorsing the mechanism of KPCC to take stock of the work done by the cadres, Kharge said: “This is the reason why we have been able to set the story in Karnataka in the last two and a half years.
factionalism, caste equation
Factionalism in many states has proved to be a problem for the Congress and Karnataka is no exception.
Time and again, reports have indicated a rift between Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah. The party can be seen trying to reassure supporters with a public spectacle to counter the notion that all talk of acrimony has been put to rest.
Siddaramaiah’s birthday celebrations earlier this month was an example.
With speculations of differences between him and Shivakumar, Shivakumar was photographed feeding the cake to Siddaramaiah – hinting that the hatchet was buried, at least for some time.
“They are both very popular leaders. Mr. Siddaramaiah was the chief minister and he has a large following in the BJP compared to someone like Yeddyurappa. Also, the performance of the present BJP government will be compared with the performance of his government for obvious reasons,” explained Gundu Rao.
He further added: “Shri DK Shivakumar, on the other hand, is also extremely popular and a very shrewd organizational man. He is very active and the workers are inspired by him. Together, they form a formidable combination.”
Karnataka Congress sources believe that this is the reason why the party high command has decided not to announce the chief ministerial candidate before the upcoming assembly elections.
Sandeep Shastri saysActivism is as much a challenge for the BJP as it is for the Congress. “I have always argued that except the Congress, no one defeats the Congress. When the party is united they fight the best fight,” said Sandeep Shastri.
Stating that the Congress has “very deliberately not declared a CM candidate”, Shastri said this is because the party’s strength would lie in its ability to bring together OBCs, minorities and major castes, especially the Vokkaligas.
“To do so, it is difficult for the party to announce the CM candidate. The moment you announce Siddaramaiah, what happens to Vokkaliga? And as soon as you declare Shivakumar, what happens to OBCs? So, strategically, it seems the party has gone for collective leadership,” Shastri told ThePrint.
Siddaramaiah identifies as OBC, while Shivakumar identifies as Vokkaliga.
But Shastri warned that it was too early to say how factionalism and caste equations would affect the Congress in Karnataka, adding that these issues could come up during ticket distribution. He said that this is where the central leadership of the Congress has to come forward.
(Edited by Amritansh Arora)
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