For, regardless of whether it was the watering down of Article 370, the Citizenship Act, or the recent initiative to adopt a Uniform Civil Code, Congress has been vocal in its disapproval. With the demolition of the disputed edifice at Ayodhya in December 1992, the Muslim vote may be returning to the Congress party. Of course, people will continue to avoid wasting its vote by voting strategically for the most powerful candidate versus the BJP, but Congress is now no longer an ogre. Most certainly, not all are still going swimmingly for the GOP. Even as a new election approaches, the simmering enmity among Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot as well as Sachin Pilot remains unresolved. It has yet to organize its highest party committees, such as the Congress Working Committee and the Parliamentary Board.
There are hints of a rebirth of the Congress party. Which is a good thing, since a strong opposition is vitally important for keeping the ruling party on its toes and inside the four boundaries of the Constitutional order. Furthermore, given that the vacuum left by a dormant Congress was being plugged by local organizations with their own, often unwholesome objectives, a national resistance with a proven track record in power should be welcomed by all democratic forces.
Regarding the early signs of the Congress rebirth, we first observe this in Rahul Gandhi’s readiness to participate in politicking for extended periods of time, rather than his withdrawing from the fold to some unknown foreign destination, leaving his party bemused and concerned.
Post-Bharat Jodo Yatra, the yatri, has gone full-time into political activities, attending the Opposition parties’ Patna meeting, traveling Manipur for an on-the-spot assessment of the troubled situation, and generally committing more time to further the Congress cause.
With the next set of legislative elections, which will follow the parliamentary elections next year, looming big on the political timeline, the opposition is now starting to clean up its own home.
What stands out is the Congress’ desire to collaborate with regional party leaders in search of the nectar of Opposition unity. Such humility bodes ill for the leaders of the opposition to find common ground to take the fight against the BJP in the legislative election.
Furthermore, for four years, Chhattisgarh Health Minister TS Singh Deo was still harboring a complaint about not getting the chief ministership at the conclusion of Bhupesh Bhagel’s half-term, but weeks after the state election, he has been properly pleased by becoming deputy chief minister.
The Karnataka triumph has also given new life to the hitherto dormant Telangana Pradesh Congress. Until just lately, it was widely assumed that the BJP, rather than the Congress, was going to pose the principal threat to Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao’s ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi.
Following the Karnataka victories, the Reddys, a powerful force in state governance, are retracing their steps back into Congress. Indeed, some politicians who entered the BJP could be considering switching to the Congress. Above all, the Karnataka triumph has resulted in an en bloc return of Muslim voters to the Congress party.
In Karnataka, the goal may have been to defeat the BJP, which had dredged up the hijab and some other emotive issues affecting Muslim feelings while in office, but the community appears to be well-inclined towards going back to the Grand Old Party.
For, regardless of whether it was the watering down of Article 370, the Citizenship Act, or the recent initiative to adopt a Uniform Civil Code, Congress has been vocal in its disapproval. With the demolition of the disputed edifice at Ayodhya in December 1992, the Muslim vote may be returning to the Congress party. Of course, people will continue to avoid wasting its vote by voting strategically for the most powerful candidate versus the BJP, but Congress is now no longer an ogre.
Most certainly, not all are still going swimmingly for the GOP. Even as a new election approaches, the simmering enmity among Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot as well as Sachin Pilot remains unresolved. It has yet to organize its highest party committees, such as the Congress Working Committee and the Parliamentary Board.
Despite the fact that Mallikarjun Kharge was “elected” as the party’s leader a few months ago. In fact, he is hardly an independent free agent; Gandhi and his family hold the party in a vice-like grasp. Nonetheless, considering the importance of the elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, as well as the Parliamentary elections next year, the Congress was anticipated to wrap up the procedure for organizational set-up as soon as feasible.
Meanwhile, it would be a mistake to conclude that the Modi-Shah-led BJP can rest on its laurels, confident in its electoral chances. They are starting to bolster the formerly dormant NDA and, in general, to prepare to confront the difficulties of a resurrected Opposition anxious to end its torment.
