New Delhi: ‘Change is now’, ‘Waqt hai badlaav ka (Its time for change)’ and ‘New Era’ of Rahul Gandhi — the message was writ large and the point driven home as the 84th plenary session of the All India Congress began on Saturday.
This is the first of its kind for Rahul Gandhi as the president of the party and the aim is to rejuvenate the cadre, give a sense of direction to the party after its electoral defeats.
Dotted with smiling pictures of Rahul Gandhi, the Indira Gandhi stadium and roads leading up to it sent out a message loud and clear — the new boss had taken charge. Conspicuously, former party chief Sonia Gandhi was nowhere on the posters.
“This is not what we want to say. That’s not the message we want to send,” said party spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi, when asked if the former Congress President wants to stay out of party matters.
“She is our inspiration and a source of inspiration for party workers across the country,” quipped Chaturvedi.
The plenary is being held bang in the middle of a week which has seen fair amount of activity on the opposition unity front. UPA chairperson and former Congress President Sonia Gandhi hosted a dinner for opposition parties, the TDP has decided to step away from the NDA and there are enough voices calling for a united front against the BJP. NCP supremo will hold a dinner for opposition parties at the end of March, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is in Delhi and Rahul Gandhi has made plans to meet both of them.
“There is a realisation that BJP, which seemed invincible until a few months ago, is not. Opposition parties are trying to see if they can offer a new narrative the country,” said Salman Soz, Congress party leader from Jammu and Kashmir.
But can the Congress’ move in trying to pitch itself as the opposition leader even a valid one? Especially after the string of embarrassing defeats that it has faced?
“You are looking at our electoral defeats. Look at our victories also. Congress party is on a rebound. We will continue to be the principle opposition party and will ultimately unite the opposition,” said Soz.
The Lok Sabha elections are just about a year away and that is a very long period in politics. The Congress may be keen on offering an alternate narrative to the country but the party knows that it is currently impossible to take on the BJP alone. A reticent Sonia Gandhi will be at work stitching an alliance while the younger Gandhi leads the party.
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