Opposition’s alliance will ebb before ‘Mangalashtak’?

Lok Sabha elections are still 6 to 7 months away and probably before that only this so-called ‘Alliance’ formed with much fanfare by some of the parties against the Bharatiya Janata Party will ebb. Congress played a pivotal role in forming this alliance, the basis of which was an assumption that if votes polled against the Bharatiya Janata Party are consolidated, it will be easier to defeat the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Interestingly, people who had been opposing the Congress for years joined the alliance as they had no other alternative. Shri. Uddhav Thackeray and his close aide Sanjay Raut, who keep reiterating excuses for betraying the Bharatiya Janata Party to bag the chief ministerial position, also hastily joined this alliance. By hosting the alliance’s meeting here in Mumbai, this father-son duo (Uddhav and Aaditya Thackeray) reminded me of the popular quote ‘begaani shaadi main Abdullah Deewana’. Well, today my subject isn’t about how Uddhav Thackeray worked towards becoming a part of this Alliance but how the alliance partners have already started grumbling and complaining against each other.

Congress, that had enjoyed exercising power in the country and other states for years, was in dire need of an alliance like this to retain its existence. Instead of introspting about flaws of Congress leadership and devising strategies to face the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress’s mother-son duo (Sonia and Rahul Gandhi) came up with a simplified tactic of uniting the Opposition parties. And while leading this alliance and struggling to retain existence, Congress had to ensure that its survival is not compromised. But today, it seems Congress’s struggle for survival will get even more difficult.

After winning a majority in Delhi and Punjab, Arvind Kejriwal, the whole and sole leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, began fantasizing that his party is the only nationwide alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party. And hence the Aam Aadmi Party leaders rampantly began making extravagant claims about their might. This growing confidence among AAP leaders is definitely making Congress leadership in Punjab and Delhi uneasy, which could also be one of the reasons why the leadership from these two states is urging the central leadership not to sympathize with AAP.

The resentment of Congress’s leadership in Delhi towards Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal is quite obvious. Congress had enjoyed power in Delhi Legislative Assembly for 15 consecutive years, i.e., from 1998 to 2013. In 2013, the Bharatiya Janata Party bagged a majority. But to prevent the BJP from coming to power, Congress extended its support to the Aam Aadmi Party. Since then, Congress’s base debilitated in Delhi. Also, the Aam Aadmi Party slowly diverted Congress’s voters which led to its victory in both, 2015 and 2020 Assembly elections and Congress almost went on the verge of extinction. Congress had also suffered major setback during 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Congress leaders like Ajay Makan has often expressed regret that Congress would not have reached this situation had its leaders not supported Arvind Kejriwal to become the chief minister in 2013. In fact, it was Makan who had publicly demanded an inquiry into the exorbitant expenses incurred on Kejriwal’s bungalow. When a CBI inquiry was declared into Kejriwal’s unreasonable expenditures on his bungalow, the Congress had welcomed the move.

Also, when Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Congress MLA from Punjab was arrested in connection with Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab for the arrest. Congress claims that AAP took action against Khaira because an inquiry was set up against exorbitant expenditures incurred on Kejriwal’s bungalow. Congress also criticized Aam Aadmi Party’s MP Raghav Chadha for hosting his wedding ceremony royally. Congress lambasted AAP for calling themselves a party of the Aam Aadmi (common man) and spending whopping money on wedding ceremonies.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann recently announced that Congress will not be given a single seat during Lok Sabha elections in Punjab. AAP also announced its decision to contest the forthcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections independently. Interestingly, Congress is in power in Chhattisgarh. This proves that even before any settlement on seat allocation for Lok Sabha elections is arrived at, Congress and AAP have already come at loggerheads against each other. Kejriwal is also against Nitish Kumar being declared prime ministerial candidate.

Congress’s floor leader in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary recently criticized West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit to Spain. Adhir Ranjan alleged that Banerjee stayed at a hotel where the cost of accommodation was Rs 3 lakh daily. ‘Which businessman had sponsored her stay in such a plush hotel’, Adhir Ranjan had questioned. Now given Mamata Banerjee’s nature, she will definitely not ignore this criticism.

These developments clearly indicate how this alliance will soon cease to exist. Metaphorically, the Alliance seems to be readying its divorce papers even before the ‘Mangalashtak’ got recited. ‘Mangalashtak’, literally meaning an auspicious prayer containing 8 stanzas, is recited during marriages, especially Marathi vivah. Elections are still 6 to 7 months away but even before that this Alliance might ebb.

 

(Article Pre-Published in Times of India -02 October. 2023)

Keshav Upadhye, Chief Spokesperson