New Delhi: According to the Hindu calendar, Chaitra marks the beginning of a new year and holds great importance in India’s political arena. At this pivotal juncture, major political parties are working hard to set their agendas for future months – such as CPM’s important party congress taking place currently in Tamil Nadu or Congress planning its plenary session next week in Ahmedabad, Gujarat; furthermore, BJP plans its National Council Meeting scheduled in Bengaluru by mid-April.
Each party faces its own set of obstacles: CPM is currently going through one of its toughest phases and trying to regain political relevance; Congress, out of power for 11 years now, continues losing states from under its control, while BJP, which has been ruling for 11 years and controls over half the states now, is strengthening its grip on national politics. April will be an essential month with significant party conventions planned.
CPM’s convention, which started April 2 in Madurai, is set to wrap up by April 6 in Madurai; Congress is gearing up for its plenary session April 8-9 in Ahmedabad.
The Communist Party of India is facing internal challenges, such as finding a replacement for Sitaram Yechury after his term as general secretary has ended. Additionally, its political base in West Bengal and Tripura has shrunk significantly; Kerala remains its sole stronghold; therefore, the forthcoming Kerala Assembly elections will be crucially important to restoring their political grounding. With Congress-led UDF providing stiff competition in these elections, this election marks an opportune opportunity for the CPM to recover their lost ground.
Congress, on the other hand, has enjoyed some recovery since the 2019 General Elections; however, their losses in Haryana and Maharashtra have dimmed their hopes somewhat. Congress is working towards strengthening grassroots in states like Bihar while revamping their organisational structure; during their plenary session in Ahmedabad next month, they should pass several key proposals and devise strategies to challenge BJP dominance over time.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi have both acknowledged Congress’s shortcomings and stated that 2025 will mark a renewed focus on strengthening it. The Ahmedabad plenary session will send out an important signal about Congress’s direction for moving forward.
As for the BJP, their national council meeting in Bengaluru from April 18-20 will focus on expansion plans across southern states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, where they have experienced difficulty. With Karnataka being such a crucial state, “Mission South” will focus on making significant inroads there as part of Karnataka being its core state. Furthermore, this meeting will finalise strategy for the 2026 Assembly elections where Assam, West Bengal and Kerala remain challenges to their control.
The BJP is looking to fortify its hold in states such as West Bengal and Kerala, where they have not been successful at winning power, specifically through working with RSS to increase BJP influence and hold meetings like their own recently held in Bengaluru. Now with all eyes focused on its national council meeting taking place next month, its strategy for the 2025/2026 elections will become clearer.
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