The verdict of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in India came as a big shot in the arm for the opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his party which won 99 seats, up from just the 52 it had in the last parliament.
By all accounts, party insiders had a best estimate of 70 to 75 seats for the Congress, which has been struggling since the Modi wave of 2014. But the results now show a slow but steady resurgence of the Congress and importantly, the stock of Rahul Gandhi as a leader has shot up.
India’s grand old party has done well in Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh (UP) — all states where it was struggling earlier.
A survey done by India’s leading think tank, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) shows that in UP, 36 per cent of respondents preferred Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister, while it was 32 per cent for Mr. Modi. The man once derided and mocked by the BJP, is now being seen in a new light.
‘The Indian Express’ newspaper did an analysis of how the Congress party fared along the route of Rahul Gandhi’s two big marches (yatras) — the Bharat jodo Yatra of 2022-23 and the Bharat Jodi Nyay Yatra which ended before this year’s polls. The paper found that the Congress and its allies gained as many as 41 seats along these routes.
The yatras were designed as a reset for Rahul, whose previously erratic leadership had caused much concern within the party. Many leaders often complained about his frequent absences, his seeming reluctance to be a full-time politician and the party’s dismal Lok Sabha performance in 2014 and 2019, though they did well in some state polls over the years.
The yatras changed the perception of Rahul Gandhi significantly. He shed the baggage of the past and walked thousands of kilometres, listening to ordinary people and their problems. Many commentators made fun of his message of ‘mohabbat’ or love as a political slogan to take on an aggressive BJP, but he persevered.
Priyanka's leadership emerges
After a shaky start to the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) coalition and many differences within (from one of the alliance partners Mamata Banerjee’s fits of anger to the difficulties of allying with AAP), this time the Congress did many things right. It contested fewer seats and left more for its allies.
It tried to be more pragmatic with allies like the SP in UP which paid off very well for both. Mallikarjun Kharge as Congress President has also been a wise choice for the party at a difficult time.
There is another Congress leader who deserves credit for the party’s revival — Priyanka Gandhi. From playing a key role in states where the Congress won — like Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh — to actively campaigning during the Lok Sabha polls, Priyanka Gandhi has come into her own.
I had argued in a previous Gulf News column that she should have contested the elections and come to Parliament. I hope she still does that from whichever seat Rahul Gandhi vacates. He won from both the prestigious Rae Bareli in UP and Wayanad in the southern state of Kerala.
A more resilient opposition
It has been a difficult election for the opposition. The playing field was not fair with every central agency used to cripple them. The Congress party’s bank accounts were also frozen by income tax authorities just ahead of the polls while the BJP had a lion’s share of money from the now discarded electoral bonds scheme.
The Election Commission was seen as far from a neutral umpire. That is why the opposition’s performance has been nothing short of a marvel.
Even though it is a third term for Modi, for the opposition, it is the beginning of their revival. And a robust opposition is good for any democracy.
The Congress party has called upon Rahul Gandhi to assume the critical role of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Though he has requested time to consider, he must seize this opportunity. This is his moment to step into a formal leadership position and embrace the mantle of responsibility.
Rahul’s acceptance would not only solidify his stature but also invigorate the party’s momentum and chart a path forward for a stronger, more resilient opposition.
