Anil Anand
Singular development that became the central theme and attracted more eye-balls was a proposal made at the I.N.D.I.A combine’s fourth meeting to project Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the Prime Ministerial face and pit him against BJP’s Narendra Modi. As a possible line up for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The premise was based mainly on Kharge being a Dalit face more than anything else.
The proposal was mooted, out of nothing but with a prior planning, by two unlikely characters-both self-professed Prime Minister hopefuls- Ms Mamta Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, chief ministers respectively of West Bengal and Delhi. On the face of it, it was, cold-shouldered by majority of the other allies attending the meeting with Mr Kharge himself ruling that the issue of electing the Prime Minister should be decided after elections.
While the ilks of Ms Banerjee and Mr Kejriwal saw merit in flaunting Mr Kharge’s Dalit credentials, perhaps the octogenarian veteran of many a political-battles saw it otherwise. Not only did he safely backtracked sensing the plot behind the proposal but took a high moral ground by clarifying that he had never used his caste background to secure any political position. This can be borne by the fact that unlike Mr Modi, often brandishes his OBC credentials, and many other political leaders, the Congress president seldom resorts to this tactic to win sympathy or further his case. He has truly risen from the ranks through the mode of struggle.
Given his long innings in the electoral politics having secured 10-consecutive wins at different levels-from block to the Parliament levels- undoubtedly, he has the best credentials to be the Prime Ministerial candidate. Of course, his cast lineage, if projected as the first Dalit Prime Minister, has an added advantage. But the manner in which the idea has been mooted raises the heckles and questions the motive behind.
Why did Ms Banerjee and Kejriwal propose Kharge’s name out of the blue? This question has, ostensibly, intrigued the minds of many of the I.N.D.I.A partners as the proposal suddenly sprang up? That implies barring the two all others were not consulted on the subject.
Before delving into the reasons behind the two chief ministers’ compulsion in suo motu proposing Kharge’s name as leader of the combine without any pressure whatsoever, it is imperative to discuss impact of such arbitrary moves on the fragile unity in the alliance. Both the leaders would have done a great service, if they were serious about Kharge’s name, to the alliance had they held a discussion on this proposal prior to formally making the move. It seems they had some other ideas in the back of their minds which had germinated in the Banerjee- Kejriwal meeting held a day before the alliance conclave.
What was the compulsion behind mooting such a proposal which has both its pluses and minuses?
On the face of it, it seems both Banerjee and Kejriwal not inclined favourably towards Rahul Gandhi, plotted the move to checkmate the possibility of anyone individually or collectively proposing his name either to head the coalition in its current form or project him as the Prime Ministerial candidate. It remains a fact that leading lights in I.N.D.I.A combine such as Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremos Lalu Prasad Yadav and Sharad Pawar have, lately, openly supported Gandhi as leading the pack. Even Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK chief M K Stalin has at times backed the idea and his cordiality with Mr Gandhi is well known.
Have Ms Banerjee and Kejriwal by proposing Kharge’s name for the top job tried to stir a controversy in the Congress? Does this move has the capacity to create chasm between him and the Gandhi family?
If the answer to these questions is in the affirmative, the question arises how are the two leaders trying to help the opposition alliance? In no way, have they helped the cause if the intention is to foment some kind of trouble in the Congress which is the only national party with a pan-India presence among the opposition parties yearning to take on the might of Mr Modi. By causing rumblings in or weakening the Congress more so after the party’s recent debacle in Hindi heartland states, they will only be harming the cause of opposition unity.
At a time when the Narendra Modi government has provided a God sent opportunity in the form of mass suspension of MPs from the two Houses of Parliament, for the opposition to make a common cause, such an isolated move does not augur well. The decision of the I.N.D.I.A combine to hold nationwide protest on the issue on December 22, 2023, was somewhat overshadowed by the Banerjee-Kejriwal move. In fact, the two leaders at least Ms Banerjee should have thrown their weight behind opposition unity over MPs’s suspension issue rather than wasting their energies on issues such as arbitrarily suggesting the Prime Ministerial candidate.
This certainly was not the right time as many other issues need to be thrashed out to bring out opposition unity on firm footing before thinking of a Prime Ministerial candidate. If at all this has to be done at this stage, it should be done with consensus evolved through consultations.
Another reason why Ms Banerjee and Mr Kejriwal have shown preference for Mr Kharge is his approach reflected so far in forging alliances aimed at adjustments in ticket distribution. Both particularly Kejriwal view Mr Gandhi as an impediment in achieving understanding over ticket distribution according to their suitability. It is not to say that Kharge will barter the interests of the Congress but the fact remains that he has adopted a different approach against the hardline posturing of Mr Gandhi towards say Kejriwal.
It has been reflected in the manner of selection and appointment of Delhi Congress chief Mr Arvinder Singh Lovely, who at some point had soft-peddled towards Mr Kejriwal’s policies. Mr Lovely’s selection had the blessings of Mr Kharge despite Mr Gandhi’s reported opposition to his candidature.
Somehow, both Ms Banerjee and Kejriwal perhaps think that it will be much easier to conduct business with an old-timer Kharge than someone having a new worldview of the labyrinths of politics. This is a flawed approach.
The one positive in the Banerjee-Kejriwal move is that despite their vehement opposition to the Congress in the past, by preferring Mr Kharge as the Prime Minister choice, though premature at this stage, they have somehow recognized the centrality of Congress. This was not the case hitherto as they had despised Congress in all its manifestations and saw themselves as the sole torch-bearers of the opposition unity.
It is better to stay in realities and build over positivity rather than adopting a corner cutting approach. Such an approach is only going to benefit BJP and all efforts at opposition unity will come a cropper.
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