Why Congress and Co. spectacularly failed in Kerala

The defeat in the Kerala assembly election has plunged the Congress into crisis and put senior state leaders Ramesh Chennithala, Oommen Chandy and Mullapally Ramachandran in a spot of bother.

Historically, Kerala has witnessed political fortunes changing every five years. That is why, perhaps, the 2021 Kerala assembly election verdict assumes significance. The Left Democratic Front's return to power in the state is unparalleled.
 

The defeat has plunged the Congress into crisis and put senior Kerala leaders Ramesh Chennithala, Oommen Chandy and Mullapally Ramachandran in a spot of bother. Chandy may have won from Puthupally for the eleventh successive term as MLA, but the difference of votes was just 8504. 
 

The Congress-led United Democratic Front fared poorly with the grouping not even reaching its 2016 tally of 47 seats (41 seats in 2021). Overall, the verdict heralds the possibility of a generational change in the Congress party.

Will faith no longer be the saviour?
 

If anything, the 2021 Kerala assembly election verdict has put to rest any misconceptions among political parties that faith and faith organisations can influence voting.
 

On the Sabarimala issue, which was a very widely debated issue in the campaign phase, Congress and the BJP believed that targeting the Left government over its stand on allowing women into the shrine could be an effective strategy. 
 

Their leadership assessed that the emotive issue had an impact on the Lok Sabha elections. Assuming that a similar impact could be achieved in the assembly election, the UDF went all-out to turn Sabarimala into an important political weapon.
 

However, the assessment spectacularly backfired with the voters not only rejecting it but handing over the mandate to the LDF. In Pathanamthitta, the flashpoint of the Sabarimala protests, the Left won all the seats.

Unable to capitalise on issues
 

Pinarayi Vijayan government faced a series of crises that no earlier government had encountered. These range from a barrage of natural calamities to allegations of corruption.
 

During the two floods that inundated parts of the state, the opposition criticised -- often more than needed -- when the government did in fact take steps to alleviate people's concerns and hardships.
 

Yet the biggest failure of the opposition came in its ineffectiveness in pinning the LDF government to the mat in the backdrop of back-to-back scandals. Be it the solar scam or gold smuggling scam or the scandals involving backdoor Public Service Commission appointments and deep-sea fishing agreement with an American firm, the UDF was unable to capitalise of any of these and translate them into votes.

Grand Old Party is not 'social' enough
 

The Congress is power in only five states in India. Many allies admit behind the scenes -- some openly -- that the Congress cannot be strong opposition to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. 

The party's ineffectiveness in actively opposing the Centre's policies makes many wonder if they indeed are a political alternative. At a time when social media influences national political discourse, Congress has come across as, simply put, lacklustre.
 

Although young leaders like VT Balram and Shafi Parambil are active on social media, the Congress in Kerala as a party does not have a significant presence on social media as the CPM or the BJP. Many of the comments made by senior Congress leaders on certain issues were often circulated as troll videos.

Time for a generational change
 

Group politics has been the Congress party's biggest pitfall this election. In an existential battle, Congress needs to liberate itself from group politics.
 

The strong message sent across by the electorate to the Congress party needs to undergo a generational change and that younger leaders need to be handed over the baton.
 

For decades, Congress party has resisted organisational change. Perhaps now is the time to reconsider.