Congress strategists believe an early general election will suit it better politically, with a divided Opposition failing to emerge as an alternative on an all-India level.
“The Lok Sabha elections could be held in December next year or January 2014,“ a Congress strategist said.
He attached significance to the BJP's apparent inability to expand outside the Hindi belt, and felt even the NDA was unable to grow in the absence of an “acceptable“ leader with appeal, charisma and a following across the country.
The regional parties, on the other hand, had not produced a leader or leaders with a national vision. Congress insiders feel that the Assembly results in Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi in the coming months will have little bearing on the general election as people vote differently for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.
The Congress is more worried about inflation and unemployment than corruption.
The party lost several Assembly polls after 2009 and is organisationally weak in states like UP, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, and is not very strong even in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh where it is in power. The Congress hopes the Food Security Bill will bring it votes in the coming election as NREGA, RTI and the waiving of farmers’ loans helped in 2009.
Meanwhile, regional leaders have failed to come up with the name of a leader who had the capacity to lead the country, at a time when economic challenges are becoming more severe.