Can RaGa & Kharge Fix Oppn’s ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ Plan in Patna by Carving Out ‘Big Brother’ Role for Cong?
The opposition gathering in Patna was postponed from June 12 to June 23, and it is obvious that this move was done to allow for and guarantee Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge’s attendance.
In reality, just a few days before the 12th, Congress declared its presence. Given that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) will also be there, the Grand Old Party first sought to keep it a low-profile presence.
The AAP’s presence in the middle of Congress’ hesitation on the ordinance issue had left the party in a pickle. The Congress president was then informed by Rahul Gandhi that the party must take the initiative in the unity negotiations and that sending a low-profile team would suggest that the party was uninterested.
Rahul Gandhi and Kharge will both be at the meeting for a few different reasons. First, the Grand Old Party believes it has shown that it is still a force to be reckoned with and that it is the sole pan-Indian option to the BJP and cannot therefore be wished away after the Karnataka victory, which was obviously a direct BJP vs Congress contest.
Most opposition groups, like as the TMC and AAP, have not yet warmed to the concept of Congress serving as the focal point of opposition unity, as it did in 2004 under Sonia Gandhi. But Jairam Ramesh made it obvious when he told News18.com that the Congress must take the lead if there is to be any success in forging a front against the BJP.
An assertive Congress will reinforce this message in Patna in light of the Karnataka victory.
Second, Rahul Gandhi’s participation allows the Congress to emphasize that without him, no 2024 negotiations are feasible. For 2024, he is the Sonia Gandhi of 2004. He would be portrayed by Congress as the lone steadfast adversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the administration, and it was his constant interrogation of the PM and accusations of corruption that gained traction in Karnataka.
But there’s a problem. The notion that there should be one joint candidate on at least 450 seats stems from the opposition’s belief that the best way to ensure that anti-BJP votes are not divided in 2024.
Rahul Gandhi had acknowledged in New York that, “While we are making good progress with unity talks, we also have to factor in the fight for individual space.”
Because the Punjab and Delhi branches of the party opposed to it, Congress has not backed AAP in the ordinance issue so far, despite pressure from the opposition. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the state head of the Congress in Bengal, is also opposed to giving the TMC any room.
Despite the statements Rahul Gandhi and Kharge are trying to make with their attendance, this might be difficult for them.
