The opposition meeting in Patna saw a date change from June 12 to 23 — the postponement clearly made to accommodate and ensure Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge’s presence.
In fact, Congress confirmed its presence just a few days prior to the 12th. Till then, the Grand Old Party wanted to make it a low-profile appearance, given the fact that both Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) would be attendees too.
AAP’s presence amidst the Congress reticence on the ordinance issue had put the party in a quandary. But then, Rahul Gandhi conveyed to the Congress president that the party must take the lead in unity talks and sending a low-profile delegation would send the message that the party was disinterested.
There are a couple of reasons why both Rahul Gandhi and Kharge will be present for the meet. First, post the Karnataka win, which was clearly a straight BJP versus Congress fight, the Grand Old Party feels it has made the point that it remains a force to reckon with and it’s the only pan-India alternative to the BJP and therefore cannot be wished away.
Till now, most opposition parties like the TMC and AAP have not warmed up to the idea of Congress as the fulcrum of opposition unity as it was under Sonia Gandhi in 2004. But Jairam Ramesh made it clear when he told News18.com: “No attempt at building a front against the BJP can be successful if Congress doesn’t play the lead role.”
Since the Karnataka win, an aggressive Congress will reiterate this point in Patna.
Second, the Congress — with Rahul Gandhi’s presence — wants to make the point that no talks for 2024 can be possible in his absence. He is the Sonia Gandhi of 2004, for 2024. Congress will project him as the only unwavering critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government and that it was his relentless questioning of the PM and corruption allegations which clicked in Karnataka.
But there is a hitch. The Opposition feels will work is no division of anti-BJP votes in 2024 and hence, the proposal that on at least 450 seats, there should be one joint candidate.
In New York, Rahul Gandhi had admitted: “While we are making good progress with unity talks, we also have to factor in the fight for individual space.”
This is the reason why despite opposition pressure, so far, Congress has not supported AAP over the ordinance issue as the Punjab and Delhi units of the party have objected to it. Similarly, in Bengal, Congress state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is against ceding any space to the TMC.
This could be a challenge for Rahul Gandhi and Kharge despite the points their presence wants to prove.
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