Mallikarjun Kharge at CWC meet: 'How long will you depend on national leaders?'

NEW DELHI: After back to back losses in Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed the party’s "below-expectation" performance during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Friday. He questioned the dependence on the national leaders and issues and called on the party workers to focus on local issues.
"Till when will you fight state elections with the help of national leaders and national issues?" he questioned during the opening remarks of the CWC meet while urging the party to focus on localised concerns and prepare detailed strategies tailored to each state. He also stressed that election preparations should begin at least a year in advance. "Our teams should be present in the field well in advance. The first task should be to check the voter lists so that the votes of those in our favour remain in the list under all circumstances," he added.
Further, addressing the Congress' performance in the elections this year, he celebrated the Congress’s resurgence in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but admitted that the subsequent state assembly elections did not yield the expected results. "The momentum was in our favour in the elections. But just the momentum being in our favour is not a guarantee of victory. We will have to learn to convert the atmosphere into results. What is the reason that we are not able to take advantage of this momentum?" Kharge questioned, urging the party to introspect and identify its shortcomings.
He pointed out that despite the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) forming governments in two of the four states that went to polls after Lok Sabha, the Congress’s own performance was disappointing. Reflecting on these results, Kharge emphasised the need for urgent corrective measures. "These results are a message for us. We need to immediately learn from them and address our weaknesses at the organizational level," he said.
The Congress president then went on to hint at the in-fighting and disunity that proved as a setback for them. "The most important thing that I keep saying is that lack of unity and statements against each other harm us a lot. Unless we fight elections unitedly and stop making statements against each other, how will we be able to defeat our opponents politically?" Kharge asked.
"Therefore, it is important that we strictly follow discipline. We have to remain united under all circumstances. The party also has the weapon of discipline. But we do not want to put our colleagues in any bondage. Therefore, everyone needs to think that the victory of the Congress party is our victory and the defeat is our defeat. Our strength lies in the strength of the party," he added.

Then, Kharge moved on to raising doubts about the credibility of the electoral process, Kharge criticised the role of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and the Election Commission. "I believe that EVM has made the electoral process suspicious. The Election Commission is a constitutional institution, so the less said about it, the better. But it is their constitutional responsibility to ensure free and fair elections in the country,” he remarked.
Reflecting on Congress’s historical legacy, Kharge reminded members of the party’s pivotal role in shaping modern India and empowering its citizens. He called on members to focus on issues that resonate with the public, such as unemployment, inflation, economic inequality, and social justice. At the same time, he warned against divisive forces, accusing the ruling BJP of using religious polarization to distract from its failures.
Acknowledging the challenges posed by "propaganda and misinformation", Kharge urged the party to improve its micro-communication strategies and take timely decisions to counter these tactics effectively. "We will have to improve the ways of fighting elections in every situation. Because times have changed. The ways of fighting elections have changed. We will have to improve our micro-communication strategy as compared to our opponents. ," he said while adding that they'll "have to take tough decisions with confidence."
Kharge further called for unity, determination, and tough decision-making to bring the Congress back to power. "We have overcome challenges in the past as well. We will have to move ahead by overcoming the current challenges," he said, urging the party to stand united and committed to restoring progress, peace, and harmony in the country.
The CWC meet saw Kharge presiding over the session, with several leaders including LoP Rahul Gandhi, alongside AICC general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, among others.