The new look BJP under Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi is not known, at least the perception, to either commit a political blunder or accept its faults.
If at all something of the sorts happened, and there were many such occasions, a cover up was in order in the form of a social media-driven counter-offensive, and issue successfully diverted. The focal point of this diversionary strategy has been former Congress president Mr Rahul Gandhi, making him a soft-target.
It is an irony that he had not only been targeted by Mr Modi and his strategists, portraying him as main character of a comedy of errors, but was treated in a similar vein by a clutch of regional parties hoping to dominate the opposition camp.
The regional or state-level satraps leading these political parties of the ilk of Ms Mamta Banerjee (TMC), Mr Arvind Kejriwal (AAP), Mr Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Ms Mayawati (BSP), Mr K Chandrasekar Rao (Bhartiya Rashtra Samithi) etc. all through saw him as a stumbling block.
Somehow, right from the day one, Mr Modi, whether he or his strategists admit or not, ostensibly viewed Mr Gandhi as a potential threat to his plans in the years to come.
So, the targeted attack on him, to in turn further decimate the Congress. Quite ironically the opposition leader nursing prime ministerial ambitions operated with the same mindset to prevent Mr Gandhi and the Congress from playing a pivotal role in uniting opposition to face BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Was it a coincidence or a plan at work with Mr Modi and a set of opposition leaders thinking alike? Whether it was a plan or a coincidence, the two sides were knowingly or unknowingly complimenting each other to keep Mr Gandhi under check and create more confusion in the Congress. He has been able to breach this wall first through his Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) and now the defamation case episode.
The scenario seems to have undergone a quantum shift from the opposition parties’ perspective ever since Mr Gandhi was convicted in the defamation case followed by cancellation of his Lok Sabha membership to be subsequently put on notice to vacate his official bungalow within 30 days.
All this happened with utmost alacrity but without causing any surprise as it was expected that the Modi Government will strike back in some form to diffuse or divert Mr Gandhi’s concerted campaign linking the former’s name with Adani group thereby described by the Congress and opposition as “Modani” syndrome.
If it did not take either Mr Gandhi or the Congress by surprise, his conviction and dismemberment from Lok Sabha forced the opposition leaders, some of whom have been cozying up to the Centre to save their skin, to sit up and mull over its overall fallout. And hence a total and sudden change of stance by the ilks of Ms Banerjee, Mr Kejriwal, Mr Rao, Ms Mayawati and Mr Yadav.
They wasted no time in unequivocally condemning, some directly others like Ms Mayawati impliedly, speedy conviction of Mr Gandhi in defamation case and the follow up actions. Obviously, they must have sensed more trouble waiting in store for them as well.
Has the team Modi committed a political blunder through their overzealous approach to tie Mr Gandhi in knots and in turn deter opposition parties from coming closer? Has Mr Modi done something for opposition unity which the stakeholders in this unity efforts could not?
The one strong outcome of these unsavoury and avoidable Rahul Gandhi-centric developments is that he seems to be occupying the center-stage more firmly than ever before. Will he or Congress become the pivot of opposition unity or not? Much will depend how the party conducts itself in the days to come.
There is no doubt that by trying to push him to the wall, the BJP has provided a big weapon to the opposition to make a common cause. It has also helped create a window of opportunity and strong reason for the opposition leaders to give unity a chance.
History seems to be on course to repeating itself so far as the opposition unity is concerned. Opposition parties uniting in the name of “saving the democracy”. It happened in the past to dislodge Indira Gandhi-led Congress and the theme seems to become a common thread this time around as well.
Though it is too early to predict the outcome, the Rahul Gandhi episode seems to have caste the die. Notwithstanding the public posturing by the ruling BJP and its leaders, the resonance of the episode not going well even within sections of the saffron party is being felt.
Enough indications are available that the regional satraps among the opposition ranks have diluted their stand towards Mr Gandhi after these episodical developments. It is nobody’s case to suggest that conditions have been created for him to play a central role in achieving opposition unity or force the other opposition leaders to accept his leadership, but definitely it has brought the Congress on the center-stage and removed factors impeding start of opposition unity process.
The episode is being viewed by other opposition leaders as symptomatic of a similar action against them in near future. It has certainly electrified the Congress rank and file who were re-energized by Mr Gandhi’s marathon BJY, forcing them out of their shells.
Much will depend on how the Congress leadership makes the best use of this opportunity and how best it can communicate with the public at large to explain not only the “Modani” factor and its economic and political fallout but also the relevance of Mr Gandhi to the opposition unity under the current circumstances.
The Gandhi episode though has brought the Congress to the political forefront, the weakest links remains to be the party’s organizational structure and lackadaisical attitude of its senior leadership. With Karnataka assembly election schedule already out and preliminary reports not ruling out a Congress comeback, a victory after the one in Himachal Pradesh, will be a shot in the arm. But there will be no alternative to a rejuvenated organization with a younger set of leadership, to take on the might of the BJP’s well-oiled and well-fed machinery in 2024.
Mr Gandhi will have to tread cautiously in building and carrying forward a political narrative given Mr Modi’s prowess at diverting issues and recoiling attacks. The Congress president Mr Mallikarjun Kharge should, apart from the opposition unity, focus on rebuilding the organizational set up. The pace still is tardy and decision making pathetically slow. Hasten this process if Congress is to stay relevant in the realm of opposition unity with Gandhi episode giving the head start.
Author is a Sr journalist and ex secretary PCI
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.