Prior to the announcement of the Karnataka election dates, there was little reason to believe that the Congress would secure a massive mandate. The pronouncements of the party’s leaders on data and victory margins were meant to be inspirational rather than evidence-based. Many commentators on the mandate have focused on the failure of the BJP in highlighting issues, choosing the right candidates and slogans, and countering Opposition charges. Such comments assume that the BJP was destined to win at the hustings. It could well be argued that the mandate is a positive outcome of the redefinition of the Congress, a redefinition which has succeeded in pinning down the BJP and reducing the electoral strength of the JD(S) drastically. The social configuration in Karnataka was amply suited for the Congress’s redefinition.
A distinct ideological map
The Congress crafted a distinct ideological map, and an action plan ensued from it. The party expressed its commitment to democracy as a value, which meant fostering equal regard to all irrespective of identity markers. It upheld the ideal of social justice, not merely as a set of preferential measures to vulnerable social groups, but also to undo prevailing partisanship, injustice, exclusion, and discrimination. It argued that both these values have been given a toss under the BJP. It pointed out that deference to citizen rights, including the right to dissent, is foundational to constitutional democracy. It demonstrated that the BJP regime undermined these rights and the institutions meant to protect them. While the Congress’s record on federalism is not unsullied, the party became an ardent votary on this issue given that the BJP has fostered centralisation and personalisation of power in recent years.
