In the midst of the deliberations, Rahul Gandhi told Kharge that the Congress should take the lead in the unity talks and that sending a low-profile delegation would send a message that the party was disinterested. (PTI)
The Congress– with Rahul Gandhi’s presence– wants to make the point that no talks are possible for 2024 in his absence. She is the Sonia Gandhi of 2004, for 2024
The date of the opposition meeting in Patna was changed from June 12 to June 23 – apparently postponed to accommodate and ensure the presence of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.
In fact, the Congress had confirmed its presence just a few days before the 12th. Till then, the Grand Old Party wanted to make it a low-profile appearance, given the fact that both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would also be present.
AAP’s presence in the midst of Congress’s silence on the ordinance issue had put the party in trouble. But then, Rahul Gandhi told the Congress president that the party should take the lead in unity talks and that sending a low-profile delegation would send a message that the party was disinterested.
There are reasons for both Rahul Gandhi and Kharge to be present for this meeting. Firstly, after the Karnataka victory, which was clearly a BJP vs Congress straight fight, the Grand Old Party seems to have made a point that it remains a force to be reckoned with and is the only all-India alternative to the BJP. That’s why there cannot be a wish.
So far, most opposition parties such as the TMC and AAP have not warmed to the idea of the Congress as the bedrock of opposition unity, as they did in 2004 under Sonia Gandhi. But Jairam Ramesh made it clear when he told News18.com: “No, the attempt to forge a front against the BJP can be successful if the Congress does not play the lead role.
After the Karnataka victory, the aggressive Congress will repeat this in Patna.
Second, the Congress – with the presence of Rahul Gandhi – wants to make the point that no talks for 2024 are possible in his absence. She is the Sonia Gandhi of 2004, for 2024. The Congress would project him as the only unwavering critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government and it was his constant questioning of the PM and allegations of corruption that clicked in Karnataka.
But there’s a hitch. The opposition feels that there will be no division of anti-BJP votes in 2024 and therefore proposes that there should be a joint candidate for at least 450 seats.
In New York, Rahul Gandhi acknowledged: “While we are making good progress with the unity talks, we also have to engage in the fight for personal space.”
This is the reason why the Congress has so far not supported AAP on the ordinance issue despite pressure from the opposition as the Punjab and Delhi units of the party have opposed it. Similarly, in Bengal, Congress state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary is against giving any place to TMC.
This could be a challenge for Rahul Gandhi and Kharge, even if they want to prove their presence.
