Gujarat elections, 2G verdict, Adarsh scam: Are 'achhe din' finally here for Congress?
Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-coined slogan of Congress-mukt Bharat managed to gain currency among voters. So much so that it succeeded in reducing the Congress’ tally to 44 in that elections, the worst-ever performance of the grand old party. Since then, barring sporadic successes, Congress's electoral fortune has only been shrinking.
But as the year ends, things are looking up for the Congress. Or so it seems, especially with these three developments between December 18 and December 22.
December 18 - Gujarat elections result
The Congress may have failed to dethrone the BJP in Gujarat, but a creditable performance in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home turf, has definitely come as a big shot in the arm for the party and its new president Rahul Gandhi.
Under Rahul’s leadership the Congress won 77 seats, this is 16 more than what it got in 2012, and secured 41.4 per cent of the votes polled - which was about 2 percentage points more than its share in the last Assembly elections. It also managed to stall the BJP's tally at 99. It is the lowest for a winning party or pre-poll alliance in Gujarat since 1975. The tally of 99 has been just seven more than the required number for a simple majority and only 19 more than that of the Congress, which got 80 seats along with its allies. This result was unexpected for the Congress which had lost its 14 MLAs to rebellion by Shankersinh Vaghela in August and was left with just 43 MLAs. This result isn’t just going to boost the morale of the party members, but also puncture the BJP's dream of a Congress-mukt Bharat.
December 21 - 2G scam verdict
If the Gujarat verdict was a comeback of sorts for the Congress, the CBI court judgment in 2G case, acquitting all accused including former telecom minister A Raja, has added an unexpected twist to the political drama. It is the same "scam" that helped the BJP whip up popular fury against a "corrupt" Congress ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Special judge Om Prakash Saini ruled that the court has “absolutely no hesitation in holding that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove any charge against any accused”. After the verdict, the Congress has reasons to feel vindicated even as the ruling party is keeping its figures crossed in the hope that it may get a reversal of the ruling in a higher court. As of now, the judgment comes as a huge breather to the Congress party.
December 22 - relief for Ashok Chavan in Adarsh case
In a big relief to former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, the Bombay High Court has rejected the Maharashtra governor's sanction to prosecute him in the Adarsh housing scam case. This scam too has severely damaged the Congress’s reputation.
In 2016, Maharashtra governor C Vidyasagar Rao gave his sanction to prosecute Ashok Chavan in the case, while an earlier governor, K Sankaranarayanan, in 2013, had declined to do so. The latest development could well lead to the acquittal of the former chief minister who had lost his job because of his alleged involvement in the scam.
Just as he took over the reins of the Congress from his mother Sonia Gandhi, luck appears to be smiling on Rahul Gandhi. It seems "achhe din" are finally here for the Congress.