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Journalism of Courage
WITH less than a year to go for the next Lok Sabha elections, parties in the Opposition space are coming around to the view that a pan-Indian anti-BJP front may not be feasible and that they should find certain common issues on which they can unite to take on the ruling party. However, the next stumbling block might be deciding what those issues should be.
Many feel that topics on which the Opposition has recently been raising the heat on the BJP, such as “targeting of leaders by misusing agencies”, “attack on autonomous and constitutional institutions” and “silencing of dissent” – under the umbrella campaign of “democracy in danger” – might be powerful slogans inside Parliament and even find resonance in the urban space, but may not be the election winners the parties need.
Leaders of many of these parties argue in private that it is time to stitch together a narrative which is more appealing – or, to put it more directly, can be easily communicated – to voters.
Several leaders doubt even the Gautam Adani affair and the “hasty” disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as a Lok Sabha MP, on which the Opposition has been able to find the most common ground, may not be enough of a glue. Many say the BJP has to be fought state by state. And therein lies the difficulty, as many of the parties that are seeking an alliance at the national level are bitter rivals in states, or have their own politics which they must cater to.
For instance, the silence of Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar on Rahul’s conviction and disqualification. Nitish lamented some time ago that he was waiting for a signal from the Congress to work towards bringing Opposition parties together, and that its response was far from enthusiastic. However, having donned a squeaky-clean image, and earlier ditched allies like the RJD over conviction in cases, Nitish is typically hoping to ride both boats.
The JD(U) chief’s laconic statement regarding the Congress also has to be read in the light of his own national ambitions as an Opposition face.
The contradictions in the Congress’s Maharashtra alliance were more apparent recently when Uddhav Thackeray raised the red flag over Rahul’s jibe at V D Savarkar. After the Uddhav Sena stayed away from an Opposition meeting, Rahul agreed to cool off on the issue.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party is flexing its muscles. While a usually dependable Congress ally against the BJP at the Centre, it has indicated that the long-held courtesy of the SP not fielding candidates on the Gandhi family strongholds of Rae Bareli and Amethi is a thing of the past.
In Maharashtra, long-time partner NCP has indicated that its line does not entirely toe the Congress’s on having a JPC probe the Adani issue.
Both the Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress are likely to prove even more difficult customers. They are fiercely protective of their turfs in Delhi and West Bengal respectively, where the Congress is their chief rival. The TMC has also refused to come on board the Congress’s Adani platform demanding a JPC.
Recently, when the Congress conveyed a proposal give a notice in the Lok Sabha for a no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla, over the Rahul disqualification issue among others, the Opposition parties clearly turned down the idea.
An ambitious idea from within the Congress of Opposition MPs resigning en masse over the Rahul issue saw a blunt dismissal.
Aside from the Congress, Opposition parties have differences among each other. Most, for example, do not agree with the AAP’s stringent attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his educational qualifications. A day after Uddhav Thackeray said at an MVA rally in Maharashtra that the PM should just come out with his degree to settle all such talk, the NCP’s Ajit Pawar – who was present at the rally – said issues like inflation, unemployment and law and order were more important than the PM’s degree.
In fact, that “economic distress” should become the cornerstone of an Opposition campaign is what most parties agree on. However, with demonetisation, GST, job losses, migrant misery having all failed to check the BJP, the Opposition is struggling with a language that can connect with the masses.
A section of the Congress believes that the party should proactively engage with some of the parties to ensure that there is no division of votes in states where the regional forces are dominant.
However, as usual the Congress is like the giant elephant that turns only slowly. For now, one might not see in a hurry that celebrated photo-op of Opposition faces on one stage, holding hands raised together.
