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Indian National Congress, the grand old party of India, suffered its worst ever electoral defeat in May 2014. Reduced to 44 seats, it was staring at a risk of being pushed to the margins if immediate corrective steps were not taken.

The reasons for its defeat were pretty obvious – corruption charges, anti-incumbency, lackadaisical leadership of Rahul Gandhi, and Modi wave.

However, if you analyze them as a pragmatist, these reasons don’t warrant any “corrective” step. They are transient in nature. For example, Congress could simply shrug them off with the following responses, and the party won’t really be wrong:

Corruption charges: Those are over. We’ve lost the elections. Now let’s forget about it. Indian electorate too has a short memory and they will also forget about those soon.

Anti-incumbency: That’s also over. And it won’t be there in 2019. BJP will be facing it.

Rahul Gandhi: Really? If not a Gandhi, who? A Tharoor? LOL! Rahul Baba will improve. Let’s not lose hope.

Modi wave: It will subside; just a matter of time. Nothing lasts forever.

So does that mean that Congress needed to do nothing after the 2014 loss? No, because we are missing one thing that the party concluded as the reason for their defeat. And it was pointed out by AK Antony, who chaired a panel to analyze the reasons for the massive defeat.

In June 2014, barely three weeks after the loss, Antony had said that Congress was seen as “pro-minority” by an average Hindu, which could be one of the reasons party suffered electoral reverses. The party’s secularism was seen as “anti-Hindu” by many.


What Congress was discussing immediately after its defeat (source)

The statement by Antony made news back then, and many Congress leaders were reported to have said that the party will evaluate it as a senior personal like Antony won’t speak anything without proper analysis.

Soon after that, in August there were reports that Congress had decided to go for an “image makeover”. The party decided to celebrate all religious festivals in their offices. Up to that time, the only religious festival they were celebrating was Iftaar during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan.

It was clear that the statement by Antony was not one-off. The party was serious about what he had pointed out and if any corrective step was to be taken, it was on this front.

In December same year, it was reported that party had decided to seek feedback from its cadre if it was perceived as “anti-Hindu”. A Times of India report claimed that ‘in around 20 meetings with Rahul Gandhi, almost every group of leaders underlined the backlash due to Congress’s pro-minority stance’.

All this while, from June to December 2014, BJP kept winning assembly elections and Congress and its allies kept losing. Among the elections the party lost to BJP was in Maharashtra where the incumbent Congress-NCP government had declared reservations for Muslims. Party wondered if the “pro-minority” image hurt them again.

Basically in 2014, Congress knew that it had a “pro-minority” problem and it needed to find a solution.

The solution couldn’t have been stepping away from minorities. That would be suicide. In India, “minorities” form a big chunk of voters, and one can say it without a sense of irony. Not only that, the “intellectual” support system would have also deserted the Congress.

So becoming a little less pro-minority was not at all the solution.

In essence, the problem was – an average Hindu thinking that Congress preferred minorities, especially Muslims, at the cost of welfare of Hindus. That the party was unfairly and unreasonably obsessed with minority issues.

Keywords being “unfairly” and “unreasonably”.

Bingo! That’s where the solution lied. The party didn’t need to shed its pro-minority stand, but all it needed to do was to convince the average Hindu that its obsession with minority issues was not “unfair” and “unreasonable”.

And there you know what to do – convince the average Hindu that the minorities in India were being unfairly and unreasonably targeted.

So towards the end of 2014, after losing the general and four assembly elections, Congress appeared to have finally found the solution.

And coincidentally around the same time, towards end of 2014, we started hearing aboutgharwapsi and later about attacks on churches in Delhi – events that suggested that the minorities in India were being unfairly and unreasonably targeted.

Remember, gharwapsi was not any new event as I had pointed out last year here andhere, and even the attacks on churches were all found to be either hyped or fabricated. But they helped create a narrative.

Every stray incident needed to be magnified, every loose comment needed to be mainstreamed, and every misrepresentation needed to be reinforced.

The end message – minorities were not safe, and the majority had to do something.

Essentially, the average Hindu was sent on a guilt trip.

This works almost every time and everywhere. Recently we saw how an average European, who was not too sure about taking immigrants and refugees, was convinced that every European country should take them in after the shocking picture of the deadSyrian kid sent them on a guilt trip. They, as individuals, started believing that the poor kid died as they didn’t do enough.

An average Hindu had to similarly feel personally guilty about the man who was killed in Dadri.

A sense of guilt is very strong emotion and it can overpower other senses, especially the logical or rational ones.

And it worked. In early 2015, BJP was decimated in Delhi. Not entirely due to narrative, but as I had pointed in my post then, the narrative did help AAP – which is basically a party that claims to be a non-corrupt Congress. If it helped AAP, it will definitely help them once people forget about their scams, Congress would have thought.

So all they needed was to continue this narrative that convinces the average Hindu that minorities in India needed disproportionately high attention and care. And starting withgharwapsi around the same time last year, it has continued unabated since then – the latest avatar being “growing intolerance”.

So within a span of one year, Congress has successfully inverted its weakness of being “pro-minority” into being its strength. Now the ball is in BJP’s court.

Some in the party are trying to counter it with data and logic, but that will fail. As I had mentioned in this article earlier – the sense of guilt will overpower those. In fact, already it has been declared that data was not important, mahaul (mood) was important.

The party or the government can’t win this war with data or logic. It doesn’t have to counter anything; it has to help the average Hindu get off that guilt trip. And it has to find a solution, just like Congress could find a solution.

Growing intolerance, and why Congress loves it

your views on this analysis?
@Darmashkian @Echo_419 @kaykay @JanjaWeed @Star Wars

Around 30 percent of registered voters who are core constituent of BJP are going to vote BJP anyway because they dream of a totalitarian hindu state where non hindus will be relegated to position of second class citizens and BJP, although bound by constraint of a political party, is there best bet.

Left ideologues are going to vote for Congress or regional left parties no matter what because of the same ideological reason of aforementioned group, since they think Congress/left parties are in sync with their world view.

Then there is casteist equations to follow in up/bihar where people will mostly vote as per their caste, modi wave in 2014 altered the equation there but its back to square in latest bihar poll and I guess it will go same way in UP poll.

Muslims will vote for whoever they think has best chance of beating BJP simply because they dont feel safe under bjp, whether or not they are right is different debate.

Then there are sizable chunk of fence sitters who are deeply wary about islamists however don't spite the common muslims or christians and want to harvest the fruits of open market, fair competition, ease of doing business which capitalism brings along.

Both Congress and BJP is trying to target the fence sitters. Congress understood they alienated a lot of voters with their policy of trying to win everyone by appeasing all and trying to gain the lost ground by admitting mistakes like banning Satanic Verses etc.

Mr Modi by his multiple assurance that constitution is supreme there cant be any change to that and by his new found love of gandhi, ambedkar, nehru etc.
 
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First of all, calling some one illiterate and poor are not calling names. Do you have any better terms for poor and illiterate that is not inappropriate ? Congress' Largest Vote bank is 15% Muslim & Close to 10% Poor & Backward rural Casteist Votes. You didnt know that ?

UPA's urban dilemma: The city-dwellers who voted it to power in 2009 have turned against the government | Daily Mail Online

insulting.png

Not all the rural folks are illiterate or poor, so its termed as a insult to someone when he is degraded or derided without any relevance. Talking ill of others is unwarranted against the election loss.

And you found nothing better than 6 year old link to convince me.

Every party has its own vote bank. BJPs have Beef hater vegetarian brahmin voters, jains vote for them & many others who voted them in last year.

Despite Muslim vote bank BJP won in 2014. So this exclusive Muslim vote bank is a misnomer - because BJP won.

West Bengal 27% Muslims, more than Bihar & UP, do you see Congress winning?

Your Muslim vote bank theory is good only in theory, not in practice. Because despite them they lost 2014.

You have no case!

To be frank villagers and rural people are not affected with motor mouths.

Villagers and rural people need funds and sanctions to continue with their rozi roti.

But we have to accept that Hardik saga did do a dent in BJP gujarat.

What people don't see is how will Congress defy supreme court and give them reservation?

BJP motor mouths as you said need to be pulled up for sure. Actions are more better than talking. BJP should organize pork feast in Hyderabad. That is the only way to show Indians who is tolerant Hindus or Muslims

We need to take the tolerance to their level and show the country who is really tolerant.

For example shiv sena attacked someone or newspaper...its breaking news for 48 hrs...yesterday Muslim gang attacked lokmat office over isis piggy bank cartoon..not even one sickular MP or media channel is showing or writing in news.

From election drubbing of BJP you switched gear to Media bashing.
Flying off the tangent!

You have BJP government at center. 18 months and counting, you are unable to do anything against the media.

Only rants will not work for you. Whining never solves problems.

10 days ago, in a Aap ki Adalat with Rajat Sharma, who invited Deven fadnavis on the show:

Fadnavis also spoke against the media. So Rajat asked him the same thing:

"aap kehte hain media, media, lekin iska ilaj kiya hai?"

Fadnavis: "ye la ilaj hai"

Watch the video on youtube.
 
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View attachment 276426
From election drubbing of BJP you switched gear to Media bashing.
Flying off the tangent!

You have BJP government at center. 18 months and counting, you are unable to do anything against the media.

Only rants will not work for you. Whining never solves problems.

10 days ago, in a Aap ki Adalat with Rajat Sharma, who invited Deven fadnavis on the show:

Fadnavis also spoke against the media. So Rajat asked him the same thing:

"aap kehte hain media, media, lekin iska ilaj kiya hai?"

Fadnavis: "ye la ilaj hai"

Watch the video on youtube.

There is no ilaj aka remedy to Media interference. They helped in bringing down CONg thugs. BJP is still new born in this case.

Then we will have more intolerance and news like emergency and blah blah. In todays world media can make and break govts. Media can also destroy nations. In our case its the latter. All our big journalists have left leanings. No one supports the cause of majority.

In fact everyone writes blogs and articles showing us we are wrong on everything we do or we should not do. They try to intimidate majority and show us we have no right to talk against intolerance or any kind of appeasement no matter how far we go to gallows.

you as well know what will happen. Keher aa jayega.

Today they highlight intolerance and blah blah, as if under CONg rule India had golden rivers flowing and everyone drank AMRUT

Terrorist, Homo RSS trying Ghar wapsi on poor hapless flood victims !

RSS workers extend helping hand in rain relief work in Chennai

Why on earth the mainstream media not exposing the true face of RSS :D

Agar yeh dikhayenge to CONgrass will lose thoda bahut bacha hua vote bank also.
Media plays a big role in highlighting HINDU terrorism and RSS in big way.
 
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Bhakt orgasm thread.....

No need to finger yourself here then.

What can you do?

Selja visited the temple in 2013 and she is debating about being asked caste in 2015 December....Why she could not raise this intolerance issue in 2013 or 2014? What about her comments there saying she had a good experience, she also signed it.

VK Singh statement we have all seen and heard it. It is no where insulting near Dalits or Muslims. It is distorted as far as we all see it. If Indian opposition and MSM can say "today COW is safer than MUSLIM" or "Rakhtpaak ho jayega" it is secular.... but if VK Singh says something it is intolerant.

Our level of politics and debate in parliament is going low with no respect. BJP also blocked parliament, i agree but it was not so low as to what RG and SG are taking.

But you can see tha tamasha in parliament because of this.

The intention here is to keep drumming the drum and keep churning it as long as you can. To show people that BJP cannot even pass legislation in Parliament. CONgrass doesn't want GST in 2016, it wants it in 2017 because immediate effect of GST will result in inflation and price rise. It will go down after 2 years.
If GST comes in 2017, CONgrass has advantage in 2019.

We are more emotional than brainy. Our people have short memories. They will vote for CONgrass next time if it goes this way. What to do, we are used to being ruled by a FAMILY an we love it.
 
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There is no ilaj aka remedy to Media interference. They helped in bringing down CONg thugs. BJP is still new born in this case..

Then please do not whine or rant any more on this matter.
Because BJP is unfit & unable to do anything to Media, as per your own words.

I also know how BJPians (hypocrite) work, as for as the Media is concerned:

gaga3.png



When the Media is good, BJP likes it, when they (media) talk otherwise, blind as bat BJP hates them.
This is typical Indian mentality sans logic. In a democracy you have to take it on the chin sometimes. If BJP rivals win, good luck, instead of talking ill against them.
 
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No need to finger yourself here then.


What can you do?

Selja visited the temple in 2013 and she is debating about being asked caste in 2015 December....Why she could not raise this intolerance issue in 2013 or 2014? What about her comments there saying she had a good experience, she also signed it.

VK Singh statement we have all seen and heard it. It is no where insulting near Dalits or Muslims. It is distorted as far as we all see it. If Indian opposition and MSM can say "today COW is safer than MUSLIM" or "Rakhtpaak ho jayega" it is secular.... but if VK Singh says something it is intolerant.

Our level of politics and debate in parliament is going low with no respect. BJP also blocked parliament, i agree but it was not so low as to what RG and SG are taking.

But you can see tha tamasha in parliament because of this.

The intention here is to keep drumming the drum and keep churning it as long as you can. To show people that BJP cannot even pass legislation in Parliament. CONgrass doesn't want GST in 2016, it wants it in 2017 because immediate effect of GST will result in inflation and price rise. It will go down after 2 years.
If GST comes in 2017, CONgrass has advantage in 2019.

We are more emotional than brainy. Our people have short memories. They will vote for CONgrass next time if it goes this way. What to do, we are used to being ruled by a FAMILY an we love it.

Bhakt orgasming....
 
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