Congress' latest weapon for 2019 elections? Its research department

The Congress Party’s research department is undergoing a slow but sure transformation.

A department which was expected to only provide handouts for debates for its leaders is acquiring an important role for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The research department is expected to organise discussions on political issues across India before the 2019 elections. WION has learnt that for this purpose, a number of non-political platforms will be chosen and the party will touch base with various segments of civil society. Most issues will be discussed under the department's "Current Issue Forum".

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The idea behind the concept is that complex issues should be taken out to society and discussed threadbare so that the party receives proper feedback. The first function was organised in Varanasi last week and the second in Delhi on Sunday.

Speaking to WION, Rajeev Gowda, the head of the research department and a former IIM-Bangalore professor and a sitting Rajya Sabha MP, said, "The Social media department is more focused on technology platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. The Communication Department’s concerns are more immediate and focused on press conferences. The research department has a different battlefield to tackle.”

The department has selected three "battlefield"areas for itself.

The first job they have decided to focus on is supplying research and political input to parliamentarians. The second area of focus is to come up with deep data publications on crucial issues like demonetisation and GST. (The department's report on demonetisation was called "Earthquake".)

And lastly, the department has tasked itself with "discovering" political trends and future issues.

Ranajit Mukherjee, the department's secretary, says their motto is the 4 D's. And their aim is to discuss ideas, debate issues, develop solutions, and drive change.

Sources said the shift in the perception of research work has stemmed from Congress President Rahul Gandhi who believes the party'sview should be based on facts and data and not on rhetoric and hearsay.

The research department has also decided to create parallel units in every state which can independently operate with local organisational units.

“The biggest challenge for us is to create data and transmit it to people from the district level to Delhi on critical issues so that opinion remains constant and roughly on the same page,” says Rajeev Gowda. But he admits that the bigger challenge is that his party's leaders and workers read the material.

It is for that reason that the department is also thinking of producing audio-video files so that the message on crucial issues can be transmitted and absorbed easily. Broadly the idea is that local and national leaders should have the same views on important issues related to the party.

“We will also do the heavy lifting for the Manifesto Committee,” says Gowda. Time has changed and so has election management. Like the West, the Indian election too has become data and mobile phone-centric.

It is a good start for the grand old party. But the fact of the matter is that it has a lot of catching up to do even in this department since the BJP-RSS machine continues to remain miles ahead of the Congress Party.