Rafale, Raga, Reuniting Forces for 2019!

Pankaj Sharma and Saurav Sanyal

2019 Lok Sabha Elections will not only be a poll which will determine the direction for Indian economy and Polity, it is also likely to be one of most bitterly fought elections in the electoral history of the country. It is uncertain that how the post poll picture may emerge in April-May next year, but the performance of BJP will also be dependent on how effectively the Congress can challenge the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and poll management of BJP President, Amit Shah. After 2019: Will Modi Win? in which the authors looked at the next elections from the perspective of BJP, this book presents an unbiased and objective picture from the perspective of main challenger, India National Congress and will there be (and that is a big ‘If’) a United Opposition?

This is a topic which has a significant bearing on next year’s election outcome because Congress is still the default opposition in close to 300 seats and the party to vote for, when people want change and switch to another national party. What could help Congress is that the BJP Govt has not done significantly better than ten year average of UPA nor did it deliver on the high expectations, the critics say. Will Congress have the chance as state govt specific and candidate level inefficiency is the Achilles’ heel for BJP? Another reason why 2019 is a “do or die” for Congress is because it runs a risk of getting irrelevant by the time it is 2024.

In a situation where there is a lack of enough focus on how the opposition is responding to BJP, this books aims to fill the gap. For the readers and political analysts who are looking for an objective assessment, this book will be useful. It is an in-depth independent analysis from the perspective of Congress at a national level in 2019 and the scenarios in view of the current challenges for the party and a United Opposition. The analysis also takes a detailed look at the ephemeral concept of “Opposition Unity” and assembly elections in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Pankaj Sharma and Saurav Sanyal Pankaj Sharma is an engineer (IIT Kharagpur, 1999) and MBA (FMS Delhi, 2003) with 15+ years of diverse work experience in various leadership roles with global investment banks, Indian equity brokerages, State Owned Enterprises and startups. Pankaj has also been a regular contributor in print and electronic media.

Saurav Sanyal has donned many hats in an illustrious career so far. He has been a Researcher, Sales and Marketing Professional and Organisation Builder. He is a seasoned professional (MBA from FMS Delhi, 2003) and researcher (M Sc at IIT Madras 1998) with a fla`ir for keen observation and an academic bent of mind.

Contents

Acknowledgements
The Story Behind This Book from Pankaj
Introduction

1. The Magic Trick of Democracy
2. Public Memory Is Short
3. The Joint Opposition Needs Congress
4. State Level Anti-Incumbency Can Help Congress
5. The Big Opportunity for Congress
6. Congress Needs to Find a Fresh Narrative
7. The Chinks in BJP’s Armour
8. What 2019 Holds for Congress

Epilogue
Notes and References
Index
About the Authors