ALL SMILES: Sonia completes four years as party chief

It was celebration time for the Congress. Not so much for wresting power in three of the four states that went to the polls-after all, it has been periodically faring well in state elections in the past four years-but for the humbling of the BJP in its stronghold Uttar Pradesh. For the first time in four years, the myth of the ruling combine's invincibility had exploded. The Congress was naturally ecstatic and willing to overlook its own unedifying performance-it picked up a piffling 25 seats of a total of 403 it fought in the state.

So infectious was the euphoria that even former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao sent a handwritten congratulatory note to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who completes four years as party chief this month. It was certainly her moment of triumph. During her tenure, the Congress added eight states to the party's kitty, raising the tally from five in 1998 to 13 states and one Union territory in 2002.

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Is the Congress on a comeback trail? Inarguably, yes. Congress leaders sensed a palpable nostalgia in last week's results. "It is seen as a party of moderation, of stability and one that focuses on development. In the minds of people, the BJP does not assure normalcy," says party Spokesman S. Jaipal Reddy. But not all party members attribute the BJP's poor showing to the Congress. "We owe our success to the anti-incumbency factor and the BJP's failure to provide good governance. The people have lost faith in its ability to govern," says a senior leader. BJP's loss has indeed become the Congress' gain. Upper caste members are returning to its fold, albeit slowly, while minorities are gradually conceding their reservations against the party.

At the same time, many Congress members are not sure if the results establish Sonia's acceptability as the country's prime minister. "In these elections, her leadership has not been an issue though Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee did make an ungainly attempt to rake up the controversy over her Italian origin," points out an MP. In fact, she drew more crowds than Vajpayee. It was only in Uttar Pradesh that the huge turnouts at the rallies, especially in Meerut and Bundelkhand, did not translate into votes.

Her acceptability aside, there is no denying that Sonia has matured as a leader. She now shares a working relationship with the party members. "It has been a process of discovery for her and she is certainly gaining esteem. She is now better equipped as Congress president," says a state leader.

Leaders close to Sonia feel the real test of her leadership has begun now. Congress rule in 13 states imposes bigger responsibility on the central leadership. Monitoring governance in these states might prove to be a tall order for the coterie that assists her. "Most of the AICC office-bearers are concerned about their own stability. Since none of them are mass leaders, they rely on her," says a former Union minister. He feels the party needs a strategy to counter the anti-incumbency factor in the states.

There is another reason why not all party members are excited by last week's results. Winning assembly elections (November 1998) has not guaranteed a good show in the Lok Sabha polls (October 1999). "In 2003, we will not get more than 200 seats. We will lose in the states where we are in power," worries a party functionary. But that's a future concern. As of now, the party has much to cheer.