Party Functions Outsourcing- Boon or Bane

We have been cautioning for several years that the third party driven party governance outsourcing is detrimental to political parties. Many family-based parties lack organisation and thrive solely on the charisma of their leader. As such, their party structure is not strong. It is these gaps that the third parties wanted to fill but they found that it is not possible without direct access to the top. Hence they demanded a chain of command reporting directly to the top boss bypassing all levels within the party. While it may have delivered victory in some places, it also reduced the strength of the party support base and strengthened the opposition. These third parties have been accused of establishing an alternative power centre directly linked to the top leadership. The party workers are concerned with the performance surveys being done by the team. It is a scientific approach but the political parties are tuned to a way which has been marked by brute force. Ethics and legal ways of earning money are rarely followed in politics.  Every politician uses the five years with him to make the maximum money possible. 

The third parties cannot change the value system of the individuals nor can they ask them to mend their ways. So they try to do the next best, improve the positive image of the candidate through more marketing campaigns and more incentives to strengthen the seat.  The Volunteer system implemented in Andhra Pradesh for example has been accused by many of creating a disconnect between party workers and the public. It introduces an additional layer between people and the party, ultimately centralising power within the CMO. In the 2019 elections, those who left TMC in West Bengal largely blamed the alternate power centre in IPAC as the reason for their exit, leading to the weakening of the party since cadre tends to follow their leaders. Unlike in the corporate world, where demoting one leader is feasible, in politics, if a leader is replaced, their loyal cadre often departs with them. It is not the party leader but the grassroots leader who builds and sustains loyalty.

Poll Agencies cannot cultivate a party's growth through marketing campaigns alone, especially when they rely on their own staff rather than party workers for information and feedback. Party functionaries and cadres, who were once the eyes and ears of the party, now see little reason to display their loyalty.

The rise of regional parties gained momentum during Indira Gandhi's rule. It was primarily due to congress strategy to discourage strong regional leaders and have loyal leaders instead even if weak. Recent events in Karnataka, where we have seen that the perception of a group being sidelined tilted the election, highlight this dynamic. Once lost, the cadre of a political party rarely returns, creating a vacuum that may empower new regional forces in South India, consolidating support for regional parties.

The central government wields control through various agencies and programs, similar to Congress's use of Article 356. Concurrently, poll agencies have carved their path by concentrating power in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) while weakening grassroots leaders. This has demotivated grassroots workers, as outreach is now handled by these poll agencies.

These agencies originated from the Obama presidential campaign and copied that in the Modi Campaign. It took the same theme down to state levels. It assumes that direct benefits transfer will result in conversion into votes and that the beneficiaries will show loyalty. I have repeatedly said that ignoring development and focusing on the welfare state is the road to serfdom. I am an ardent follower of Hayek and strongly believe in his insight several decades back. It also shows the inability of the government to generate large mass employment opportunities.  For Single parties or two parties, these agencies create excellent Pan India campaigns but it is in local issues that they find progress not showing up per the expectations of their customer.  

However, these benefits are focused on the reserved classes as the government keeps repeating in every event.  It leaves the taxpaying middle class and general categories feeling alienated. The government's confidence in the support of beneficiaries may be misplaced .Biden is betting his reelection campaign entirely on the fixed percentage of votes always loyal to the democrats. The swing states are where the battle will be focused on. The initial changes brought about by these programs eventually sidelined both cadre and leaders, consolidating power in the main leader’s office. For Andhra Pradesh, the Coastal Belt are the swing districts where caste divisions will lead to mixed results. Seema and Uttarandhra will vote conclusively. So all parties focus on making a difference in Coastal Andhra. 

The usage of these third parties has exposed the weak party structures, especially in family parties. Most family parties weaken in the second generation due to lack of strong leaders. We have seen how Shiv Sena has been split vertically due to the rise of Uddhav Thackeray’s son. Apart from the leader's belief system, these parties often lack their own belief system, and their stated values remain unpracticed. Poll agencies are forcing them to establish some structure around their operations. This has led many to quit the party and join the national parties. 

While these agencies consolidate the CMO power over regional leaders, they also risk alienating them, leading to defections to other parties. Managing these regional leaders requires sensitivity, as they may not adhere to performance metrics but can still secure victory due to the strength of their cadre. Once cadre is lost, it seldom returns.  Ultimately, people focus on candidates rather than campaign designers.

Leaders like Biju Patnaik,Rajasekhara Reddy, Karunanidhi, Bal Thackeray,Jayalalitha and NTR succeeded by nurturing powerful regional leaders without conducting performance reviews. KCR, too, trusted his cadre and didn't assess performance, which has proven effective. His party's strong structure makes it difficult for parties like BJP to make inroads. Andhra Pradesh will see opposition strengthening occupying the huge vacuum created in the urban middle class, educated population, etc. YSRCP will retain power but at the cost of weakening the party. It will lose a significant percentage of CADRE and yield several seats to opposition due to not empowering its own team. Only Naveen Patnaik has shown strong sustenance of his CADRE for decades.