Congress to hammer away at welfare agenda, play down economic crisis

NEW DELHI: The parallel tale of tumbling rupee and rising welfarist pitch has raised queries about its impact on the political landscape, with Congress fervently hoping that the 'aam aadmi' will not be influenced by the slowing economy.

Having made the flagship food security bill gambit ahead of 2014 polls, Congress has decided to focus on the positives of populism to remind the vast constituency of the promise, delivered with Sonia Gandhi's stamp on it.

The party has decided to play down the economic crisis, lest it dilute the gains expected from 'aam aadmi' measures. While party spokespersons will limit themselves to calling it a global pattern, they will stay the course on how the food bill will tackle hunger in rural areas by covering 75% of people. The objective is to not let the doomsday scenario being talked about dent its aggression on "social agenda".

It appears a tough ask in view of the dominant discourse remaining anchored in the rupee's fall. Congressmen admit that there is not enough time to show a recovery before elections as also for the food law to swing votes to the extent Congress may expect, a la farm loan waiver of 2009. The one-year timeline for implementation has led to apprehensions that promises do not influence voters like tangible benefits do - 4.5% job quota for Muslims ahead of UP polls failed after Election Commission's stay on implementation till the polls.

The economic slowdown is seen to primarily anger the urban, middle-class while the food bill has appeal among the rural poor. That the Congress offensive in the current situation could result in a possible 'urban vs poor' divide is a fallout the party had not bargained for.

The change of scenario from the time the food law was conceived is significant. The mega expenditure on cheap foodgrain for 67% of the population in the wake of tanking rupee sounds economic profligacy when it would have sounded a perfect "inclusive" policy in the times of 9% growth rate.

But that is the reason the party feels it should go ahead with wooing rural, poor voters, while hoping for the best in cities.

When Congress chief Sonia Gandhi swatted aside concerns over finances by saying that "resources will have to be found" for the food bill during the debate in Lok Sabha, she was positioning Congress as putting "welfare over economy", in view of the Hobson's choice that showdown presents.