Poll setback: Congress to lose bargaining power

Kozhikode: The electoral setback suffered by the Congress in the Assembly polls in the four North Indian states may weaken the bargaining power of the Congress in the ruling United Democratic Front in the state with the constituents flexing muscles in their dealings with the Congress leadership in the state.

Indications of possible rumblings in the UDF became manifest with the Indian Union Muslim League, the second largest constituent in the UDF, terming the results as a ‘lesson’ for everyone in the UDF. Although IUML leaders refrained from making any direct attack on the Congress, they gave enough hints of their dissatisfaction with the affairs in the Congress unit in Kerala.

IUML treasurer and State Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty said election results in the four North Indian states highlighted the need for facing the forthcoming parliament elections with “discipline and unity” in the state.

“Even before the election results came out, the IUML was talking about the need for rectifying certain issues facing the UDF”, IUML general secretary K.P.A. Majeed told DC on Sunday. Majeed, however, declined to list out the issues that needed rectification by saying that such matters were needed to be discussed within the UDF.     

Both Kunhalikutty and Majeed ruled out any “Modi wave” in the elections in North India. The states were traditional strongholds of the BJP and there was nothing surprising about the party’s victory, Majeed said.

Kerala Congress leader and Government Chief Whip P.C. George in his inimitable style said that “the Assembly election results are only a temporary setback for the Congress and the full setback for the party will happen after the parliament elections.

“Nobody took me seriously when I talked about the need for changes”, he said, and added that the “Congress had become symbols of self-righteous arrogance”.