By Rahil Nora Chopra
With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled for 2027, the Congress SP, BSP and Azad Samaj party are looking forward to kindle the legacy of the BSP founder Kanshi Ram, who is seen to have reshaped Dalit politics in North India. The new entrant in this jostle is Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. Increasing vocal on issue such as caste census, reservation and social justice, Rahul has attended the Congress event Samvidhan Sammelan on Friday to mark the birth anniversary of Kanshi Ram at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow where Rahul had addressed the gathering of eminent Dalit leaders, social activists, and intellectuals. By putting Kanshi Ram’s ideas of Bahujan empowerment in the foreground, the Congress hopes to reconnect with the community that once formed a crucial part of the party’s support base. Meanwhile, Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav coined the acronym PDA to stand for ‘Pichhde’ (backward classes), Dalits, and ‘Alpsankhyak’ (minorities) in a bid to consolidate OBCs, Dalits and minorities. He had guided his party leaders to celebrate Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary on March 15 as ‘Bahujan Samaj Diwas or PDA Diwas’ at all district headquarters across Uttar Pradesh. BSP Chief Mayawati is expected to observe the anniversary on March 15 through party programmes. As parties compete to claim the legacy of Kanshi Ram, the battle for symbols has begun. Whether this competition leads to meaningful power-sharing and succeeds in convincing Dalits will be the defining question in 2027 polls.
RAHUL AND PRIYANKA TO LEAD CONGRESS POLL CAMPAIGN IN WEST BENGAL
The Congress party is working to regain some lost ground in West Bengal in the upcoming 2026 assembly elections. It is not a simple task given that the party was reduced to zero in the 2021 polls. The Congress is hoping to resurface in Bengal, first by going it solo after 20 years. To give shape to the vision, it has planned to rope in Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to campaign in the state. The party is also mulling a fortnight programme where it plans to hold rallies, public meetings, engagements and jansabhas (public meetings) featuring the MP siblings. It has even deputed All India Congress Committee (AICC) observers for all 23 districts of Bengal for the ensuing polls. The Congress and the TMC, who despite being constituents of the Opposition INDIA bloc and uniting in Parliament over issues such as seeking the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar have not found themselves on the same page when it comes to Bengal but the exit of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a fierce critic of Mamata, from the Congress state leadership is also seen by many as an attempt to keep the fires friendly. The main challenge for the Congress, in a four-sided contest in Bengal this round, is the bipolar space that has been created by Trinamool and BJP. The polarization works for BJP and Trinamool.
KERALA CPI-M FACING ORGANISATIONAL PROBLEMS BEFORE ASSEMBLY POLLS
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) is going through a serious organisational crisis at a time when it is gearing for another crucial election with hopes of attaining third consecutive term in power in Kerala. Veteran leader and former two-term minister G Sudhakaran on Thursday declared that he would contest the coming Assembly elections as an Independent candidate from Ambalappuzha constituency that he represented from 2006 to 2016 before being dropped by the party. Sudhakaran is the fourth leader to quit CPI-M in the last three months. Earlier, former MLAs Aisha Potty joined Congress, S Rajendran took BJP membership and P K Sasi was expelled from the party after he attended a convention of rebel workers. The impact of his exit will depend on how he connects with ordinary CPI(M) workers and influence them on the eve of assembly polls.
RAHUL GANDHI TARGETS PRIME MINISTER FOR PRESENT LPG SUPPLY SHORTAGE
As the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla concluded in a defeat, Opposition MPs had targeted the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government over the escalating energy crisis triggered by the US-Israel and Iran war. Several opposition MPs from the parties such as Congress, DMK, TMC and SP, among others, staged a protest near Parliament’s Makar Dwar, raising slogans such as ‘Naam Narender, Kaam Surrender’ and ‘Modiji, LPG’. The women opposition MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi, sat down with a mock brick cooking stove and raised slogans against the government. The Opposition has been demanding a full-fledged discussion on the West Asia situation and its impact on India. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi cautioned that the ongoing West Asia crisis could soon impact people through inflation, shortages of cooking gas and fuel, and rising airfares. However, PM Narendra Modi, on the other hand, appealed to the people not to pay attention to rumours or panic in the wake of the LPG supply disruption caused by the ongoing conflict in West Asia, and urged that only verified details should be disseminated. Amid the growing concerns, the government and oil companies have sought to reassure the people that domestic LPG cylinders supply will be ensured.
JHARKHAND MUKTI MORCHA JOINS ELECTORAL FRAY IN ASSAM
The political activity in Assam has soared up as Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has declared a new political alliance with the Jai Bharat Party in Assam. The announcement was made during a political awareness rally held at the Mijikajan Tea Garden in Biswanath Chariali of Biswanath District, signalling a possible JMM entry into the state’s electoral fray. Addressing the rally, Chief Minister Hemant Soren emphasised the importance of voting in democracy. He appealed to the people to exercise their franchise responsibly and actively participate in the democratic process. However, the JMM has begun looking beyond Jharkhand to strengthen its presence in tribal-dominated regions of other states. (IPA Service)
Modi Govt Is In A Position To Deal With Current Oil Crisis Due To Iran War 