By Rahil Nora Chopra
Who will be India Bloc’s Prime Ministerial face?
The fourth meeting of the INDIA Bloc saw high drama as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee proposed the name of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for INDIA bloc’s PM candidate against PM Narendra Modi. Now, Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar says no prime ministerial face was projected during the 1977 Lok Sabha polls (post Emergency). Pawar’s remark came even as the INDIA bloc is yet to project a prime ministerial face for 2024. Then, in 1977, after the polls Morarji Desai was made Prime Minister. There are no consequences if a face is not projected,” Pawar said. “If people are in the mood for change, they will take a call to bring about that change.” But Mallikarjun Kharge himself put an end to prime ministerial ambitions when he said focus should solely be on winning the election.
Ram Temple inaugural invite divides secular Opposition
The Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, later this month has left INDIA bloc parties holding different views; and whether to attend the inauguration on 22 January or skip? The CPI(M) declined the invitation. “Religion is a personal choice not to be converted into an instrument for political gain. Therefore, we will not be attending the ceremony.” The Congress asserted that the party may go ahead and decide at a later stage. Senior leader Digvijaya Singh said Sonia Gandhi is very positive on this matter. A representative delegation from her side might go. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which is a Congress ally in Kerala, warned the Congress. Muslims might ditch the Congress. So the “Congress is against Hindu sentiments” will roll. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said Uddhav Thackeray has not been invited for which the BJP will pay if not now, definitely later. The Ram Mandir trust is likely to invite Uddhav and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. SP leader Dimple Yadav says she will not miss Lord Ram’s “Pran Prathistan” for all the water in the Saryu. Mamata Banerjee has prior engagements.
Mayawati thwarts Pro-India Bloc sentiments within BSP
A segment of the BSP wants the party to join the INDIA bloc but Mayawati is not joining INDIA or NDA. Some BSP MPs say that the party can win only if it connects with voters outside its traditional base of Jatav Dalit. And this will be possible only if the party joins INDIA. BSP’s Jaunpur MP Shyam Singh Yadav said, “In my personal opinion, all parties, including the BSP, should unite against the BJP. However, we will follow what “Behenji” decides.” BSP leaders say a divided Opposition would benefit the BJP. BSP’s heir apparent Akash Anand might persuade Mayawati’s to fight the general elections alone. This when big numbers of non-Jatavs have embraced BJP. Mayawati’s political inactivity alienated millions of supporters creating a vacuum in Dalit politics. The challenge for Anand is to win back young Dalits who are looking for other political alternatives. The BSP bagged only one seat in an assembly of 403 seats in the 2022 elections.
Jagan Reddy’s sister Sharmila’s Congress fetish
Approaching 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s estranged sister, YS Sharmila, who formed her own party, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Telangana Party, two years ago, is in talks with the Congress for a merger. Sharmila held consecutive meetings with Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar a couple of times. Sharmila wants to carve a niche for herself in Andhra Pradesh politics. Congress leaders are supporting Sharmila and Rahul Gandhi is okay with it. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi are all for welcoming leaders who left the party and wished for a comeback. The coming days are expected to shed light on whether the Congress strategy works?
Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra sequel to kick off soon
Ahead of Lok Sabha polls in 2024, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will kick start the Bharat Nyay Yatra from Manipur on January 14. The Bharat Nyay Yatra will focus on social, economic, and political justice for people. The yatra will conclude in Mumbai on March 20. The east-west yatra will cover around 6,200 km across 14 States, travelling through Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. The yatra will be flagged off by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge from Imphal on January 14. The Congress aspires to achieve a long distance in a short period of time by holding this yatra mostly on bus, besides some short stretches of walking. In all the 14 states which Bharat Nyay Yatra will cross account for 335 Lok Sabha seats and the Congress is hoping to increase its tally. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won 236 of these seats, with the Congress attaining only 14. (IPA Service)