Prithviraj Chavan, a former Maharashtra chief minister and veteran Congress leader, feels his party has probably failed to provide a viable alternative to the government, and it needs a course correction.

“I do acknowledge that the Congress party may have failed to provide the alternative. If we have to implement our ideology, we have to do it through our party manifesto which is not happening. We need course correction.”

Chavan was speaking with Geetanjali Minhas in a Governance Now Podcast, ‘Do Tuk’. It can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/RF7sJeulKrU

He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS have brought in a new politics in the country. A critical view of the 11 years of Modi’s government shows that its performance and tall promises have fallen flat, according to him, the country is in a bad situation with the rise in unemployment. 

Chavan, a three-time Lok Sabha member and two-time Rajya Sabha member, said there could be different views on whether the Congress is responsible for the misery created by the government. “I would accept that the Congress has failed to provide an alternative to the ruling government.” He said there are no two views about the ideology of the Congress and that it wants to save democracy in the country and “we will continue with this fight against the way Modi-ji has developed cult hero-worship and the dictatorial style of government.”

Speaking on his party’s loss in Haryana and Maharashtra the 2024 assembly elections – held soon after the general elections, he said the Congress did well in the Lok Sabha elections last year and emerged as the largest party among the opposition with a good strike rate against the BJP. “We became complacent. All leaders started projecting themselves as chief ministerial candidates. At the same time, the BJP realised that if they lost Haryana and Maharashtra where they ruled for 10 years, it would have a direct impact on the stability of the central government ... They had to win at any cost... So they separated the two elections which were to be held together, they misused the power and the authority of the EC [Election Commission of India] and money. Particularly in Maharashtra, there was massive use of money power, votes were brought and the voter list was manipulated.”

He also admitted that the Congress has failed to raise issues like low per capita income and economic inequality.

“On one side, there is economic disparity, the gap between the haves and have-nots is increasing; and on the other side, money is being held in the hands of a few people. If India’s per capita income ranks at 140 and remains low, how will we become Viksit Bharat? We want to explain to the people of our country that there is a difference between the country becoming rich and people of the country becoming rich.” 

On the PM not holding a press briefing or a parliament session on Operation Sindoor, Chavan said, “Modi-ji does not believe India is a republic, and avoids discussions in parliament. International media and Pakistan are giving their own version. … In case there have been shortcomings or lapses these will have to be acknowledged.”

He said there should be an inquiry into the possible intelligence failure and security lapses that led to the Pahalgam terror attack. “Is the home minister to be blamed? Why was Trump brought into the matter?” he asked.

On the all-party delegations sent by the government for global outreach after Operation Sindoor, Chavan said India’s foreign policy had completely failed as these delegations could not meet important leaders, policy- and decision-makers. He added that the Pakistan PM has been meeting world leaders to apprise them of the situation, thanking them for support, and turning public opinion in Pakistan’s favour – something Modi has not done. “Why has he not personally gone and met world leaders? Why is he not conveying that it is a matter of terrorism?”  

The former union minister of state added that despite the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan received the IMF loan which it will use to increase its defence budget. It also received a loan from the ADB. UNSC has named Pakistan as vice-chair of the anti-terror panel. “Our message that Pakistan is supporting terrorism has failed.”