Much Bickering In Punjab Cong; Datia Loss Feeds Chouhan Hope

Once dismissed as a “Pappu”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has finally come into his own. There is all-round agreement that the public perception about the Lok Sabha leader of Opposition is changing and he is now being viewed in a more positive light. This follows Rahul Gandhi’s recent successful efforts to connect with Gen Z. But despite these positives, there is a degree of despondency in the party. Congress insiders maintain that though Rahul Gandhi’s personal popularity is growing, the party organisation continues to be in a mess. Virtually every state unit of the Congress is in the throes of bitter infighting. From Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to Goa and Jammu and Kashmir, factional battles are a regular feature everywhere. Congress members fear the party will lose the momentum generated by Rahul Gandi’s “Chhatron ki Goonj” programmes, if the party fares poorly in next year’s Assembly elections. Poll-bound Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are particularly vulnerable as rival groups in these states are showing no signs of backing down. If the Congress loses in these states, not only will it be wiped out in the entire northern belt, it will also be a setback for Rahul Gandhi. The goodwill he has garnered in recent months could quickly disappear if he fails to deliver electoral victories for the party.

Reports from Punjab are particularly disconcerting for the Congress. The raging battle between the camps headed by the state party chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi could well nix any chance of the Congress ousting the Aam Aadmi Party in next year’s election. Speculation is rife that Mr Channi could float his own party closer to the election and that the Bharatiya Janata Party is not averse to lending him a helping hand in this endeavour. In fact, Union minister Bhupendra Yadav admitted to Congress leaders in an informal conversation during the recent Parliament session that Congress members in Punjab were lining up to join the BJP. Given this state of flux, the Congress Party’s plans to launch its poll campaign with a bus yatra is being constantly delayed. Rahul Gandhi is to flag the yatra but he is learnt to have told Congress Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel that he will only go if the party puts up a united face.

Even after he moved to Delhi and took charge of the agriculture ministry over two years ago,Much Bickering In Punjab Cong; Datia Loss Feeds Chouhan Hope made it a point to visit his home state Madhya Pradesh as often as possible. His regular trips evoked considerable chatter in political circles as it was read as a sign that Mr Chouhan had not reconciled to the loss of the chief minister’s post, having been replaced by the present incumbent Mohan Yadav. Interestingly, the frequency of Mr Chouhan’s visits has increased after the Bharatiya Janata Party lost the recent bypoll in Datia to the Congress. Mr Chouhan even convened a meeting of all Madhya MPs in Bhopal recently. Mr Chouhan perhaps thinks there is still an outside chance that he could return as chief minister. He lives in hope as Mohan Yadav finds himself in the dock after the party’s defeat in Datia.

Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc were in an upbeat mood when the Monsoon Session of Parliament came to a close earlier this month. They were particularly happy that they had put up a united front and succeeded in pushing the Modi government on the defensive following the police crackdown on student protesters at Jantar Mantar. But there has been no news of the INDIA bloc since then. The combined Opposition had decided at its last meeting in June that they would meet every two months to chart out a common plan of action to take on the BJP in their respective states. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had announced then that the next meeting would be held in Hyderabad in August. This announcement followed complaints from regional parties that instead of meeting once a year, the INDIA bloc should have regular consultations. As it happens, the month of August is drawing to a close but the Congress Party’s allies, including the Trinamul Congress and the Samajwadi Party, have yet to hear from the party about the proposed conclave. So much for Opposition unity.

Now that the organisational reshuffle in the Bharatiya Janata Party has been completed, conversation in Delhi’s political circles these days is focussed on the much-anticipated Cabinet reshuffle. With Punjab elections due next year, MPs from the state are predictably eyeing a seat at the high table. It is expected that someone from the state will be accommodated especially since Ravneet Singh Bittu resigned on completion of his Rajya Sabha term while Union minister Hardeep Puri’s Rajya Sabha term ends later this year. Former Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha is a contender but a case is being made for another former AAP Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney on the ground that the BJP needs a Sikh to replace Mr Bittu and, possibly, Mr Puri.