Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is seemingly unwilling to learn from repeated mistakes and keeps on taking up issues that find no resonance with his partners within the INDI alliance.
The senior leader has continued to take up the issue of alleged corruption by the Adani group in collusion with the Central government throughout the ongoing winter session of Parliament. However, it must be noted that several important INDI bloc members, including the Samajwadi party, Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, have continued to maintain a safe distance from the issue.
It is understood that leadership of these INDI allies have repeatedly told the Congress high command regarding their reservation on taking up the issue as they find that it is not finding support amongst the common masses. There is a sentiment that the opposition should take up matters that concern the common people and not waste their time in creating pandemonium over non-issue that may not have an impact in elections.
Many leaders of the INDI bloc also feel that the way Rahul Gandhi has been acting inside and outside the House “lacks dignity”. “There was no need for him to conduct a mock interview with his party MPs wearing masks. The entire episode was undignified and lacked the respect that needs to be shown towards a Constitutional post like Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha,” said a senior leader.
Since the session began on November 20, the two Houses have witnessed constant washouts over the Congress-backed attacks on the Central government for avoiding a discussion on allegations of alleged bribery against Adani in a US court.
Fissures in INDI bloc?
The lack of enthusiasm shown by the opposition INDI alliance to defend Rahul Gandhi when he was termed a “traitor” and “in collusion with forces trying to break India” also reveals that there is a complete lack of coordination amongst opposition allies.
The Bharatiya Janata Party had accused Rahul of being a “traitor of the highest order” and being linked to the George Soros-linked foundation.
This repeated attack has so far met with muted response despite the fact that the Congress currently has 102 members and Opposition has 249 MPs in the lower house of Parliament.
The entire episode also reveals that the relationship between Congress and its important INDI bloc partners has been strained over the past few weeks.
Many INDI bloc members have continued to stay away from the Congress-backed protests outside the Parliament, amid indications that strain in relations has crept into alliance.
While SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has not attended any INDI bloc floor leaders’ meeting during the ongoing session, Trinamool Congress has already distanced itself from the Adani-centric strategy led by the Congress.
There is a growing feeling in the INDI bloc partners that the Congress, namely Rahul Gandhi, also needs to take top leadership of other opposition parties into confidence on Parliament related strategy plans. The remaining period of the ongoing winter session is likely to lay bare any further differences that seem to be regularly arising in the opposition INDI bloc.
