The election results for the legislative assemblies of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, among others, mark the resurgence of the Congress not only in these states but also in the central imagination of voters across India. Yet, its electoral gains have come despite the Congress having consistently failed to play the role of an opposition. In states where there has been no effective opposition party to take up local issues faced by different sections of society in recent years, desperate people joined hands to raise their own demands.
In Gujarat, where Congress has not even played opposition politics for decade-plus years, backward and Dalit communities organised popular protests, giving birth to new leaders like Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mevani. In Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and other states, distressed farmers took unusual steps to register grievances – marching thousands of miles on foot to Mumbai and Delhi, or throwing their produce on roads demanding sustainable prices.
Effectively, Congress was absent in these states, not even raising the issues faced by farmers almost until the eve of the elections.