A rally in Delhi by the Congress-led INDIA bloc has reportedly left the party with less leverage over its regional allies, as it failed to show the strength it had hoped for. The party had wanted to project muscle ahead of assembly elections in five states next year.
The rally was held on the 1st at Ramlila Maidan, with bloc parties taking part, to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Congress leaders had set a target of mobilising 10 lakh people. Delhi Police reportedly said about 50,000 attended, while central intelligence officials estimated around 1.5 lakh.
Assembly elections are due in February and March next year in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Manipur. Congress had wanted to contest these polls on its own and expected the rally to demonstrate the strength needed to do so. With the show of strength falling short, the party now faces pressure to depend on its allies again. In Uttar Pradesh in particular, Congress may have to accept whatever number of seats Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav allots. Although Akhilesh attended the Delhi rally, the report says the Congress call did not draw strong public support.
Tamil Nadu Congress functionaries said the rally was not only a protest against the Election Commission but also meant to show that INDIA bloc parties are working together under Congress leadership. They acknowledged that the rally did not succeed, creating difficulty in retaining regional parties’ support in northern states and in asserting Congress’s wishes in seat-sharing talks. They added that in Tamil Nadu, the party is compelled to protect its alliance with the TVK without bargaining over seats.
