By Dr. Gyan Pathak
INDIA bloc was ‘betrayed’ in Bihar by JD(U) leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the very person who initiated for its formation to take on PM Narendra Modi and the BJP. Nitish Kumar gave justification in Patna for his action saying that “not everything was alright” and he “tried to make it work, couldn’t”. JD(U) spokesman and senior leader K C Tyagi went a step ahead alleging “Congress wanted to steal the leadership of INDIA alliance”. As against this Rahul Gandhi kept calm and behaved with dignity, and so the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
A little background to the incident of political switchover of Nitish to BJP will help understand the behaviours and the characters of Rahul and Kharge in right perspective. Though denied by Nitish of his aspirations to become Prime Minister face for the opposition INDIA bloc and later the Convenor, his supporters were vociferous in expressing his aspirations through demanding for the posts. The issue of PM face was dropped earlier due to differences within allies, and when the proposal of making Nitish as convenor of INDIA bloc came during the last virtual meet, Rahul Gandhi had intervened and said that he would like to consult Mamata Banerjee before any decision on the post of convenor.
It is known to all that Mamata Banerjee had always expressed reservations on Nitish Kumar, and therefore it was natural for Rahul Gandhi to have words with her so that the decision on convenor post could be unanimous. It was all for democratic functioning of the INDIA alliance for the sake of unity within the bloc. However, it was not acceptable for the feudalist mind of Nitish Kumar, who could not accept Rahul’s proposal for consultation with Mamata, and then left the meet about 10 minutes earlier than scheduled. The virtual meet was to review seat-sharing agenda among the INDIA bloc allies and participation in Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi, and other matters related to the alliance.
Then, within a fortnight, Nitish Kumar betrayed the Congress as the major ally in the INDIA bloc, and the RJD, a major ally in Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, and switched over to sit on BJP’s lap, earning a derogatory name “Paltu Ram” for himself, apart from a “habitual betrayer”. He completely lost his face and reliability as a political leader. All allies in the INDIA bloc have criticized Nitish for such a behaviour, though everyone is undergoing certain difficulties in seat-sharing talks due to inherent inner-party and inter-parties political complexities. No one knowing the complexities, would be irked, much less than ditching one’s own allies as Nitish Kumar has done, which the Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has termed as “complete betrayal” while maintaining that it would not affect INDIA bloc.
Congress has received the first blow in West Bengal, when the TMC leader Mamata Banerjee in her outburst said that her party would go solo in Bengal and would contest all the 42 seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election 2024. Even then Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge has maintained dignity and behaved well, in the given complex talks on the seat-sharing. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has gone further saying that one can’t imagine INDIA block without Mamata Banerjee.
Just after that Chief Minister of Punjab and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann said that his party will have no alliance with Congress in his state, and his party would contest all the 13 Lok Sabha seats. Though, Punjab Congress leadership that has already been resisting any alliance with AAP in the state, Congress’ Central leadership, especially Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have been treading carefully. Option has been kept open for all eventuality, while a five-member National Alliance Committee of the party is looking into all aspects of the seat-sharing arrangement with INDIA allies.
It should be noted that Rahul Gandhi is currently leading the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, a 6,713 km journey across India, from Manipur to Maharashtra to mobilise public support for securing political, economic, and social justice for the citizens of India. Rahul Gandhi had already completed his first Bharat Jodo Yatra (September 7, 2022- January 30, 2023), a journey of 4,080 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, the motive being to fight against communalism, unemployment, hatred, inflation, and political centralisation by the divisive Union Government led by PM Narendra Modi. The current Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was launched on January 14, 2024 and will end on March 20, 2024.
Congress organisation is changing fast, but people and political parties have still a hangover in their thinking about the Grand Old Party. The hangover is reflected in the criticism of Rahul Gandhi, by even party leaders and leaders of INDIA allies, that he is busy in Yatra while he should be giving final touches to seat-sharing and election campaign issues. They are just unaware of the fact that all the election related issues including seat-sharing and joint campaigns are being handled under the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge by his team. Rahul Gandhi has just been mobilising the people to stand up against any political, economic, and social injustice done to them by the government led by PM Narendra Modi and his corporate friends under the garb of religion condescending majority to vote for BJP for the third term.
Though, the Congress has repeatedly said that they have been inviting all, including their allies, to participate in Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra, but allies have their own inhibitions, fearing that by participating they would indirectly strengthen the Congress. Nevertheless, several INDIA allies have voiced grievances that Congress should have launched joint political campaigns in place of Congress’s own. Rahul’s Yatra is thus facing some challenges due to non-participation of its allies and their grievances, such as TMC leader Mamata’s, who has been irked accusing Congress that they were “discourteous” by not inviting her to the yatra. She might be dissatisfied, but Rahul Gandhi has tried to reach out to all the allies and urged them to join the Yatra.
Rahul’s Yatra has covered five states in the North East, and has travelled through West Bengal. He is presently travelling in Bihar. The Resurgence of the Congress started during the first Bharat Jodo Yatra has strengthened further in the North East, in West Bengal, and now in Bihar during the current Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. As INDIA ally, Mamata would also got benefited by the fruits of Congress campaign in West Bengal, where Rahul emphasized that INDIA bloc would jointly defeat RSS-BJP design. Rahul Gandhi would be available for election campaign when election to the Lok Sabha would be announced and the campaign begins by March 20, when Nyay Yatra will conclude.
It is expected that Mallikarjun Kharge’s team would soon finalise the seat-sharing and joint campaign arrangements with INDIA allies, though it was anticipated to be completed much earlier by the end of September, 2023, which was deferred to December due to state elections. Unfortunately, it could not still be finalised, hence the cause of frustration to its allies, because they wanted their political campaigns in full swing by now in every constituency they are supposed to jointly contest. No doubt, seat-sharing is getting late, and challenges in the way are persistent. Despite that Rahul and Kharge’s dealing with dignity and respect for allies , may bear fruit. (IPA Service)
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