Signs of hope for Congress

Thumping the BJP, the Congress on Sunday secured a huge win, shattering a four-decade record, in the Lok Sabha byelection for Gurdaspur in Punjab, which was held by the BJP. In another byelection, Congress alliance partner IUML took the Assembly seat of Vengara in Kerala with quite a big margin, defeating the CPI(M).

The BJP came far behind, although the saffron party has been on a propaganda blitz in Kerala of late, fielding party president Amit Shah and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, among others.

These are surely reassuring signs for the former ruling party, but the Congress will make a big mistake if it reads them as pointing the way to a certain victory in the coming Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, even if party vice-chief Rahul Gandhi has been drawing responsive crowds in Gujarat. Statewide polls are a wholly different ballgame.

State-level factors doubtless played a big part in the wins in Punjab and Kerala. In light of the serious economic difficulties in which the Narendra Modi government’s recent moves have placed the country, disenchantment with the ruling establishment seems to be growing. This may have strengthened the state-level factors in ensuring the BJP’s downfall.

Last week, the Congress won the municipal corporation polls in Maharashtra’s Nanded impressively, giving the BJP a rude shock. The wider phenomenon is that anti-BJP forces are beating the BJP hollow on every turf. In the students’ election at the famous Allahabad University, the Samajwadi Party group trounced the ABVP, and the Congress’ NSUI didn’t fare too badly in picking up votes.