Over the past few days a realisation seems to have dawned on the Congress, that its chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s controversial comments on Kumbh were hurting the party’s prospects.
Hence, the grand old party seems to be in a damage control mode, sending its top most leaders from various states to take the holy dip in Prayagraj.
Over the past few days, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar, former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh and former chief minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot from and many others have frequented the holy festivities in Mahakumbh.
A few days ago, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had put his party leaders and INDI bloc in a bind.
“Don’t fall into the trap of false promises of (Narendra) Modi. Is poverty ended by taking a dip in the Ganga? Does it fill your stomach? I don’t want to question anyone’s ‘aastha (faith)’. If anyone feels bad, I apologise,” Kharge had said.
The Congress chief’s statement was seen as a lack of coordination and clarity on important political subjects between various alliance partners of the INDI bloc.
The Congress chief’s comments also highlight the total disconnect that the top leadership of the grand old party has with the grassroots.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has also not lost the opportunity to bring Kharge’s comments to the notice of voters, while attempting to reinforce the perception being built that the grand old party was anti majority community and was only interested in appeasing minorities.
