Win some The Congress has reason to be pleased. Particularly if the present dispensation believes in little drops making up the ocean. The party has won eight of the 11 seats in which byelections were held recently. The most obvious reading is, of course, that this is a swing in favour of the Congress. Voters, even small groups of people scattered in different parts of the country, seem to be tired of the Bharatiya Janata Party?s big talk and small performance, its total mismanagement of everyday issues and its penchant for letting sectarian fanatics run haywire. All this is true, but there is always the other side of the coin. The Congress?s victory in four seats in Rajasthan and two in Delhi indicates people are hoping for better governance. In other words, the so called anti-incumbency factor would operate again if the Congress fails to fulfil these hopes. The resounding victory of the Rajasthan chief minister, Mr Ashok Gehlot, can almost be read as a confidence vote in him. The Delhi seats too have been gifted to the Congress by the BJP?s bad governance. The big margins are a measure of hope in the Congress and disappointment with the BJP. Even in the seats it has won, the BJP compares poorly from the point of view of margins, whether in Madhya Pradesh or Gujarat. The Hauz Khas seat in Delhi was won by the Congress by a much larger margin than that of the BJP?s when the latter had won in the November assembly elections. Winning the Dhrol-Jodiya seat in Gujarat must have given the Congress the greatest satisfaction. This, together with the slim margin of the BJP?s victory in the Jetpur seat in the same state, may be read hopefully by the Congress. The party has to work hard to build on these hopes. That the anti-incumbency factor is not so remarkable in Congress ruled Madhya Pradesh ? the BJP and the Congress shared the honours ? is owing to Mr Digvijay Singh?s thrust for development and his firm handling of the state unit. A strong state unit is also behind the victories in Rajasthan. Although it would be foolish to predict national trends from a few byelections, there is reason for the Congress to look forward to a good haul of Lok Sabha seats in the next general elections. At the same time, it needs to look into its state units in states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Clear lines of communication between the high command and state units are very important. The strong views of the Bihar state unit in favour of president?s rule in the state recalled the opposition of the Tamil Nadu state unit to Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao?s decision to align with Ms J.Jayalalitha in 1996. Mr Rao rued the decision. The Congress would not like a repeat of something similar, now that its fortunes seem to be changing for the better.