KRISHNA PRASAD writes: The colour television and the personal computer have been essential electronic items in the Congress’ electoral inventory for over a quarter of a century.
The party’s understanding of the power of television goes back to the 1982 Asian Games, when the Indira Gandhi government rolled out an LPT (low power transmitter) a day under the dark gaze of H.K.L. Bhagat, so that Rajiv baba‘s showpiece event, his organisational arangetram, could reach every corner of the country—live and in full colour.
The party logged into the silicon ‘yug‘ not too much later.
After his mother’s funeral, telecast round the clock, implanted him in the nation’s consciousness, Rajiv Gandhi was reputed to have pushed the nation into the computer age. If that surname is not what you like to hear, you might like to remember how that wily Chanakya, P.V. Narasimha Rao, booted up his laptop.
Today, on the 25th day of the year of the lord 2008, as the BJP steps below the Vindhyas—proving the BJP, and its chosen astrologers, pundits and psephologists right (and proving churumuri.com wrong, we humbly admit)—the Congress’ plight shows how the party which took India into the LPG era of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation stands disconnected from the TV and the PC.
Today’s Karnataka vote can be read any which way you like depending on your political preferences.
You can see it as a decisive, much-deserved victory for the BJP. After all, it was the first-placed party last time round. Or you can see it as a well-deserved slap on the Congress, which conspired with the JDS to deprive the BJP its rightful chance in the name of “secularism”.
You can see it as a rejection of the backstabbing and betrayal of the JDS. Or you can see it as a State’s cry for stability–and with it development and governance. You can see it as a rejection of dynastic and family politics. You can see it as a result of inflation and price rise.
You can even see it as the shape of things to come for Sonia Gandhi and Rahul baba in 2009.
Whatever.
Success, as they say, attracts many explanations; failure has to grope around to find its excuses.
While we can all doff our Mysore petas to Arun Jaitely, if there is just one decisive lesson to be obtained from the BJP’s triumph in Karnataka—and indeed from Gujarat—it is how important clarity and cogency has become in our political grammar, be it in the television studios, on the news pages, or on the campaign trail.
What the wise voter wants and values in an increasingly complex world are clear and simple signals of promise and deliverance; and repeatedly delivered from very pulpit and forum.
What he hates is beating around the bush.
For a party which ushered in the television era into our lives, the Congress seems to have lost the art of the message; the BJP, to its credit, seems to have mastered it.
The way experts and analysts saw it in Karnataka, this was an election for the Congress to lose. It was not in power at the time of elections, so anti-incumbency was out. It had leaders from virtually every community in its ranks—Vokkaligas, Lingayats, Kurubas, Dalits, Muslims, Christians, Brahmins. There was plenty of things that had been done in Delhi which were supposed to fetch votes according to the pundits: the Rajinder Sachar panel report to woo minorities, the farm debt waiver to woo farmers, the pay commission recommendations to woo the middle classes, etc.
If, in spite of all that, the Congress could barely manage to retain its 2004 tally, it shows that many things are horribly wrong within the party. But one thing that sticks out is that it has lost the ability to articulate its thoughts and actions clearly, to tom-tom its achievements and abilities, and to take them into the hearts and minds of voters.
It has become too soft and sophisticated for its own good.
It looks nice and polished on the plasma screens, not so on the community black and white sets.
On the other hand, the BJP had much going against it. It was seen to be aligned with just one community—the Lingayats. It was seen to be hand in glove with the mining mafia which had legitimised the criminalisation of Karnataka politics. Its top two leaders were said to be fighting amongst themselves, even if privately. It was seen to have gone into an unholy alliance with a party which had the word “secular” in its registration certificate. It had spent just seven days in government.
Yet, in spite of all that, if the BJP has managed to add more than 30 seats to its 2004 tally, it shows that 21st century Indian elections are not quite the complex and nuanced social, political and economic processes that the intelligentsia thinks it is.
It is a lot more simple—and primal.
If the Congress and BJP were brands, the latter has better recall and recognition at the electoral mall. The voter knows what he is buying.
For weeks and months, the BJP leadership, be it in Delhi or Bangalore, have been aggressively and abrasively drumming and drilling the same three things into the skulls of voters on television. That B.S. Yediyurappa was their chosen man for chief minister. That B.S. Yediyurappa as finance minister delivered two “superb” and “excellent” budgets. That the party, if given just “one chance”, would bring paradise on earth.
Last week, when Prannoy Roy asked Yediyurappa some complex formulation from Delhi, the chief minister-in-waiting ignored it, adjusted his spectacles, looked down, and began parotting the same three things.
“Mr Yediyurappa, please stop reading from your notes,” Roy said.
It would have invited sniggers in the right kind of drawing rooms, of course, but clearly voters in the age of news television do not mind that.
At every conceivable opportunity during the election campaign, Sushma Swaraj talked of price rise affecting the common man in her Karol Bagh Kannada—“akki, bele, yenne, tarkari…” (rice, lentils, oil, vegetables…)—in the same order. It gets boring beyond a point, but who is to argue that it is not effective?
In contrast, the Congress leaders have been a disaster on live television. Not one of its leaders, in Delhi or Bangalore, has had the clarity of thought or the fire in the belly to take on the stuck records of the sangh parivar. They hem and haw, on the one hand and on the other. They are stuck for words in explaining their USP. They cannot forcefully say why the party hadn’t named a chief ministerial candidate. They have no convincing explanation on Afzal Guru or Taslima Nasreen; terrorism or minority appeasement.
Where the voter seeks a clean window to the future; the Congress seems happy to provide a muddied rear-view mirror of the past.
At Congress public meetings across the state, tens of people crowded the stage for the benefit of the cameras. There was no single face, single voice, single big idea to grip the people.
On paper, the Congress is more inclusive, more representative, more well-rounded, etc. On paper, they promise this, that and the other, and they say all the right, politically correct things. But in reality, as today’s verdict demonstrates, despite the promise of free colour TVs in the manifesto, those things have relevance only to edit page writers and columnists.
Voters, who have picked the product off the shelves earlier, want a new and improved version.
For six months or more of President’s rule, the Congress had the chance to get its election army in fit and fighting shape. It could have finalised candidates, finalised its commanders, finalised its strategy, finalised its advertising campaign and media strategy.
But….
But when a party which can lay legitimate claims to being computer-savvy could only send the “B” form to a candidate with just 15 minutes left for nomination papers to be filed, it shows a party in some dystrophy. By the way, that candidate couldn’t stand, and in the end India’s oldest party had lost its first seat even before the death knell was sounded this afternoon.
(This piece originally appeared on www.rediff.com)
Photograph: Karnataka Photo News
Now we all know you are a supporter of the Congress :) – Fine piece and analysis nonetheless.
I agree with your branding bit, but I am not sure if it was the TV and the messaging bit that made them vote for BJP. Perhaps they were just sick and tired of Dharam Singh and co as they were with daddys party.
I am sure you will never attempt to do any more predictive surveys in future. Your survey and all the ears to ground, eyes on cast and communities was a big HA HA HA
For the sake of good journalism please be objective and do not take stand. Let Churumuri be Churumuri of what it was when it started.
Thanks! Your prediction rightly guessed HS Shankaralingegowda’s win!
aa Vasu bandbiTidre avana chela rowdy gaLde rayabhara aaghogirodu!
Ontikoppal and Paduvarahallili innu kathe gOthaaa!!!!!!
Election aadmeloo rowdygaLna sumne hiDdu iTkoLakke yenu provisions ilva?
My heartfelt condolences to you for the election debacle of congress party!
It is amazing that even now you have nothing to say against the corruption,utter immorality and selfishness of the Deve Gowda family which has led to JD(S)’s demolition at the hustings. People did not forget the great betrayal of Yediyurappa by HDK.
1. Is this the great victory of BJP?
2. Or is it the continuing process of the end of Congress party under the rule of Nehru’s dynasty?
3. Or is it that the voters have really weighed different factors and cast their votes to the best?
4. Or is it because of the changing affiliations of political mafia to greater spoils of the victory?
Will Churumuri be able to conduct a far more scientific poll (it the sign of greatness that churumuri has readily accepted how utterly worong it was in its prediction) to get responses to the above four possibilities.
My vote is to the fourth possibility.
Nearly thirty seats for the JDS does not mean demolition. It is a clear comment on the jaathi politics that is our bane. Ditto for the Congress and the BJP. The smaller parties also ran on the jaathi politics while making splendidly hypocritical statements proclaiming their hatred of caste politics. Cannot believe that Chandrashekhar lost in Basavanagudi, anymore than I can believe that Chennigappa’s son won in Madhugiri.
Wish the Haradanahalli clan had met a fate similar to that of the Bangaarappa hubris.
Thanks to the Chamarajanagara voters for sending that embarrassment to Kannada and Kannadigas, V. Nagaraj, home. He should now be placed under house arrest.
KP, I like your commentary, although less tongue-in-cheek than usual. If you can, do us a favor that no Karnataka paper has had the means, i. e., intelligence, to do. Give us a breakdown of voting constituency by constituency ASAP.
The biggest winner of all is the Election Commission. Lage raho, Gopalaswamy and Peter. Let’s not forget the man who started it all, T. N. Seshan.
The KRV now has a chance to be a respecable entity by eschewing jaathi politics. Let it start by insisting on a Kannada speaking governor. It should also find a way to be morally superior to the three parties and keep them in check.
Too early to write HDG off. My sincere sympathies to Dr. Ramesappa and his army of friends. I cannot wait to read their tearful explanations.
Let’s all hope that when the dust settles, it is not going to be business as usual. We also need to think of what to do to negate that possibility. A new Lokayuktha and greater power for her.
Churumuri poll/survey enayaithu sir….
In a democracy, 51 is the winner and 49 is the loser, even if the 49 persons have polled more votes than the 51 percent.
Is it not right to ask those who have polled more number of votes
to rule the state or the country rather than allowing those who have polled less number of votes. Am I joking ?
Sushma Swaraj, intrepid student activist, stout defender of civil liberties (she and her husband Swaraj Kaushal were the only lawyers who came forward to defend George Fernandes during the Emergency), member of the India International Centre think tank, and all you can call her is a Karol Bagh Kannada speaker? She surely deserves better, much better.
kaangeya, if not for his unkind reference, I wouldn’t have known this bit of trivia. :)
With EC doing a Censor Board on her election campaign it was like rap songs played on music channels with multi-beeping… people must have found it cool and voted for BJP! :P
Good and analysis as to why Congress lost. JDS, not at all in the picture….
where is our son of night soil – probably digging out night soil along with his sons together? Please spare a thought for our “hallina daaktru” – he seems to be joining the party with HDD & his sons!
It is good that single party rule has dawned. On other parties blame game will start but this time around BJP has to shed some negative impressions that has been ingrained in people’s psyche identifying as a party of Hindus. I believe people across the board belonging to different castes and religion must have voted for BJP and in its policies it has to take all people and concentrate on development with controlling price rise on the top of the agenda The most important issue is to give clean image
I would like to see what happened to dynastic contenders, I mean who have no other political qualifications other than being offspring of renowned politicians.
In this elections one thing came out certain. Parties known for dynastic domination were shown the door. Congress, JD (S), and even Bangarappa’s party including himself.
In the same NDTV programme which KP has mentioned, Sushma Swaraj spoke a better and clear Kannada than the kannaditi Margaret Alva. I felt ashamed for Alva’s kannada. thu!
And the accusation that Sushma has mugged only a sentence of akki, bele, enne… is untrue. Either she has learnt proper Kannada or she has mugged many many more sentences :) She was heard congratulating and thanking the people of Karnataka in Kannada. Again, that was so clear too!
On the serious note, BJP is till short of the magic figure. It means the the six independents are going to have a big say. If i know one of them is a communist and so he is not going to join the party. please name the other five independents who are going to be the real king makers, who may well make the prediction of kudi matt seer true.
A kind of bemoaning article. Author seems to be pretty distraught about congress loss. Some of the observations in the article to explain / justify the result seem to be random and irrelevant.
He is trying to simply put the blame of congress loss on bad advertising. Are the people that stupid? I don;t think so.
Manoj
Jeevarathna–
Aren’t the Communists happy bedfellows of Congresswallahs in New Delhi? Who is to say the lone Communist will not succumb to blandishments? Our politicians are hungrier than Bakaasura ever could be.
After the way, churumuri has its guts handed back to them, is it any wonder that such “fine analysis” makes it way to this blog.
Congress still has a larger vote share than BJP in Karnataka. BJP has 33.9% while congress has 34.6%
Which means BJP may have won more seats than congress, But congress has got more votes than BJP throughout Karnataka.
Today is the sad day for Karnataka for voting BJP to power.
To tell the truth, Congress has helped BJP to come to power. A party with a communal agenda which was nowhere ten years back has been voted to power. This is only due to nincompoopery of Congress. An incoherent party like Congress with incoherent leadership can not win elections. They can not take voters for granted. The Dynasty can no more charm the voters anymore. They are rather a liability for the party.
It is high time that Congress do an introspection instaed of looking at excuses and change their style and strategy.
But will they EVER LEARN?????? I doubt…..
Will all the secular parties come together and learn the mistake of vote split???? I doubt….
Unless they do, they will get whitewashed in future elections too…….
Alri bere kade inda bandavaru hindi/english/tamil/Telugu na impose maadtaare anteera.Ade onedradu tingalu illi iddu campaign maadakke banda Susuhma Swaraj baro svalpa alpa svalpa kannada maataadidre heeyalsteera.
maatadidaru tappu maatadade idru tappu andre hege???
This article is OK, but not very good. It is sticking to only face of the whole-story. Just right sales-material (ad, messaging, etc.) can’t win. There must be stuff inside also.
BJP leaders, workers, and all were far more focused on what they have at hand (before election, during election & after-election) and that clarity of thought and single-minded objective to rule-Karnataka and provide good governance and other stuff was showing up all around. So, please dont try to fake and win – that is not possible.
– Discipline – Really solid discipline.
– Openess – no gode-mele-deepa talk (on all aspect, to the point, no switching of topics etc.)
– Solid Money Power – All these days, BJP had everything but Money. Now that they also have this M-POWER, it is hard-time for rest of the guys (Cong, Gowda-and-party etc.)
– Corporate Working Culture (as compared to other parties) enabling them for faster execution (selection of candidates, deciding ads, and other stuff)
Good point, Chetan. The Gandhi family, Indira, Sonia, Priyanka, at the most learned and repeated one Kannada sentence. Something like, “Nimage kai kodthivi.” Sushma did much better. It may not look like it, but her trying to speak Kannada definitely was a major factor in Ballary becoming a BJP stronghold. She also showed up in Bellary in non-election time to take part in age old Kannada practices like performing Varalakshmi pooje.
Still, I am not saying I endorse the BJP winning more votes than other parties.
MKV’s point it to be noted. I liked it.
Shocking…TV, PC, Varalakshmi pooje, alpa-swalpa-albeit-swacha smattering of Kannada helped win an election???
Did we all not see Godhra on our TV screens? Don’t we all know what IT has achieved and what it has not? Don’t we all know that all the homas in the world did not bail Yeddy out months back? Are we so starved of a Kannada-speaking populace that we feel ingratiated towards one who makes an effort? (Or did the BJP manage to bell the cat on this count?)
What success is this? The kind that would egg Yeddy do a Modi in Karnataka? If this is what Kannadigas voted for, if Karnataka WANTS BJP to rule, then of course Congress lost before the poll began. Long Live the Congress, and the JD-S and the others.
I don’t get these die-hard kaangi fans… do u folks want another 50 years of dynastic rule under rahul baba, priyanka in the name of pseudo-secular BS?
Just look at what they are doing to the economy.. their idea of controlling inflation is destroying growth and development. At this rate we will be back to the dark ages of license raj. They will stoop to any level to stay in power.. They are already destroying nationalized banks and public sector companies. The people of karnataka have realized this and have rightly given BJP a chance and hopefully the rest of the nation will follow
Sadam Hussain was caught and killed not because of US, but because of himself, he couldn’t hide in a proper place.
Pandavas won because of Kauravas.
Australia won world cup, because of India. India didn’t play well.
What Logic, Mr.Ananda!!! BJP won because of Congress!!