MANDI, November 30
In a significant shift in political strategy, the Congress, though belatedly, has adopted the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) tactics of man-to-man marking to counter opposition leaders, as is usually done in football and basketball where each defender is assigned to a specific opponent.
The new approach, which mirrors the BJP’s method of responding to political challenges in their own language, marks a turning point for the Congress as it seeks to defend itself against the opposition party.
The recent political activities of Congress leaders reveal a distinct shift in their approach. Much like the BJP, which has mastered the art of well-coordinated responses, the Congress has now learned to counter its rivals by using similar tactics.
In the past, political leaders would respond to each other’s statements directly, but the BJP changed the rules of the game. The party’s success lies in its ability to carefully study each opposition leader, strategically assigning one of their own to handle the rival leader’s responses. This leader then counteracts the rival’s rhetoric, often focusing on specific statements and dealing with them in a highly calculated manner, ensuring a unified voice.
Bali targets Sudhir for spreading misinformation
At the state level, the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government has fully embraced this “Modi-style” of politics. The latest example comes from a high-profile political tussle between Congress MLA RS Bali and BJP’s Sudhir Sharma, both prominent leaders of their parties from the politically significant Kangra district.
Bali, at a recent press conference, aggressively targeted Sudhir over his social media posts, accusing him of spreading misinformation and misleading the public. Bali went as far as showing journalists copies of these posts, claiming Sudhir was allegedly using lies to stay in the spotlight and provoke public unrest.
These statements were made in the wake of the High Court order to shut 18 loss-making tourism department hotels, an issue that gained significant media attention. Bali, seizing the opportunity, placed the blame squarely on Sudhir.
In response, Sharma wasted no time in firing back, accusing Bali of being responsible for the losses in the tourism sector due to poor management. Sharma took aim at Bali’s leadership, highlighting the absence of solid plans for the tourism department under his tenure. Sharma also criticized the mismanagement within the department, claiming that inexperienced employees were hired, and outsiders were being brought into meetings—allegations that were public knowledge.
Sudhir raked up failure of Himcare programme
In response, Sudhir pointed out the failure of the Himcare programme and criticised the funding distribution, which he alleged disproportionately benefited certain individuals. In essence, Sudhir, who was earlier with the Congress and even remained a minister in the Virbhadra Singh government, too responded with “facts and figures”.
Bhoranj MLA Suresh counters Rajinder Rana’s allegations
Another example of Congress stepping up its game can be seen in the ongoing face-off between BJP leader Rajinder Rana and the Congress. Rajinder, who too was with the Congress earlier and has been vocal in his criticism of the Chief Minister, has been countered by Congress through Suresh Kumar, a legislator from Bhoranj.
In a Facebook post, Suresh Kumar claimed to have owned a petrol pump since the time Rajinder Rana was “selling vegetables in Chandigarh”, a dig at Rana’s background intended to undermine his credibility.
In addition, the Chief Minister’s media adviser Naresh Chauhan also joined the fray, posting on social media to “apologise” for an incident years ago, further complicating Rana’s narrative. The Congress’ response to Rajinder has been coordinated, with leaders strategically placed to weaken his position in the media.
Vikramaditya versus former CM Jai Ram
The ongoing political rivalry between Congress’s Vikramaditya Singh and BJP’s Jai Ram Thakur too continues to play out in the public, with both sides regularly engaging in verbal sparring. Here again, the Congress has followed the BJP’s lead, positioning Vikramaditya to counter Jai Ram’s attacks in the same way the BJP handles its own critics.
