Since yesterday, the latest appointment from Gandhi family into Congress politics has been making headlines with so many hopes and aspirations particularly harboured by those who apparently take so much pride in being Indians just because Gandhis are also operating from this part of the world.
Some perceive this development as (1) a game-changer on Indian political landscape, (2) marks the beginning of sharp decline for BJP and Sangh Parivar almost “Writing on the Wall’ , (3) would force many BJP leaders take sanyas by the stellar success expected out of this move and (4) even Uttar Pradesh soon would have a Congress chief minister.
However, meat of the matter, there is no ascertained response from the great advocates to the conundrum i.e., what would be the quantum of benefit vis-a-vis the probable antithesis flowing from allegations around Robert Vadra. No two ways to the fact, the result of recently held state elections, though BJP not got decimated after multiple terms of rule, yet Congress managed to pull off a 3:0 white wash over BJP is a validation to the presidency of Rahul Gandhi.
However, this does not automatically mean Congress and others are safe across Uttar Pradesh and that got more accentuated with the recent announcement of survival deal between Bua and Bhatija, fellow secular travellers from the anti-saffron gathbandhan. Congress exclusion from this equation is anyone’s guess. No mutual acceptance with severe trust deficit among the fairweather friends. Insiders and observers believe Congress played its most significant trump card by appointing Priyanka as General Secretary of the party to take charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh which includes CM Yogi’s home turf as well as PM Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency.
As a widely accepted notion, the Congress party is a family affair and therefore the credit for success and responsibility to manage crisis very much belong to the family and no one refutes it. On a different note, Modi has been successful in stitching together all other players in the game at least to raise voice against him, BJP and sometimes against the country’s development. This goes without saying, there is nervousness all over considering BJP’s popularity and Modi’s leadership style leading to a fiercely competitive general election for which strategy of many kinds are rapidly being firmed up by all. One such is the opportunistic partnership between SP and BSP in Uttar Pradesh as a desperate attempt to regain the ground lost to BJP since their shops are closed for some time now.
Those who are conversant with the local politics in the state would appreciate, the cast politics has been on steroids for decades and the substantial portion of the electorate are identified with several political formations in some way or other and that becomes a defining factor for the electoral fate for the participants across the board.
Interestingly induction of the charming lady from the owner’s family with quite close resemblance to Indira Gandhi would for sure have an impact on upsetting the caste politics in the state; also, the possibility of religious minority deserting SP-BSP Jodi can’t be ruled out which effectively means every party redraws its strategy to mitigate the probable damage. While the favorable state election results would have secured certain joyous moments and rightfully so but it’s not an all is well political climate for opposition quarters. There is an all-out attempt to invest significantly political capital even in the non-conventional territories in order to prove their relevance. The so called “show of strength and unity” rally organised by Mamata Banerjee earlier in the week goes on to vindicate the impression as to what extent there are apprehensions and anxieties about the political future against the most formidable force i.e. BJP with Modi in the cockpit.
Seriously one can’t imagine a more direct evidence how acute the existential crisis to see these netas together on a single platform. It’s only natural that we come across several narratives some of them though convincing, but what has often been a source of big irritation is negative nationalism propaganda abated with high degree of impunity by parties and the so-called constitutionally allowed concessions have been ascribed to only as a lame excuse as a concerted attempt to justify the actions many times not aligned to the idea of India.
In a democracy like ours the roles of stakeholders are more or less cut out clearly if not codified and also there is a reasonable check and balance measures but it’s unfortunate, disruptive forces believers in ivory tower are tirelessly indulging in blocking the reforms and developments overdue in this country. Collectively they need to learn the art of siting outside the power corridor patiently and not continue to do disservice to the nation by irresponsible acts.
Technically Priyanka may not be new to Indian politics looking at her political contour and her trajectory has shown both hits and misses. In the past whenever she was parachuted in a situation, she lent her services to the family members including her father but that has always been confined to the event. Not surprisingly , Congressis in the country are in an ecstatic mood rejoicing her assuming the role which has been assigned by her dearest brother even terming it as Brahmastra but one has to wait and watch if this would actually climax by votes conversion in favor of the grand old party or it’s a mere media created hypes far away from being capable of making dent to the Modi’s led juggernaut.
(Views expressed by the author are personal.)
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