By Sushil Kutty
Top opposition leaders spoke at the INDIA Bloc’s ‘Jan Vishwas Maharally’ at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on Sunday and removing Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power was the clarion call to a 10-lakh strong congregation. The galaxy of speakers included Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, D. Raja, Sitaram Yechury and Akhilesh Yadav, all of them diehard Modi-repellants.
With that the Bihar Mahagathbandhan took the lead, emphasizing once again that the break-up of the RJD-JD(U) alliance hadn’t mattered much for the voters of Bihar, arguably one of two states, along with Uttar Pradesh, which will decide which political front takes 2024 and forms the government at the Centre. Bihar accounts for 40 Lok Sabha seats and Uttar Pradesh 80, adding to a neat bundle of 120 MPs. An MP from UP also stands the best chance to make “PM”.
Akhilesh Yadav said “120 Harao” was the INDI-Alliance slogan and also its poll target. Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, and Mamata Banerjee will emerge key players after the 2024 election results are declared, thinking of which is giving the BJP nightmares. Imagine coming up with a first-list of candidates and “Pawan Singh for Asansol” has punctured Modi and Shah’s “no state for women” image for Mamata’s West Bengal. Where is the misogynist now and to which party did he belong to?
Then, there are the Delhi dismissals including that of cricketer Gautam Ghambir who snubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also BCCI secretary Jay Shah’s father Amit Shah with “I’ve got cricket in my mind”. Also, what about Modi and Shah discarding Sadhvi Pragya, who is now casting doubts on Modi’s assessment of her? The BJP’s first list is proof Modi’s “Abki baar 400 paar” is all hot air and baloney. The party is fumbling to get hold of 370 winnable candidates and could be facing drubbing.
Incidentally, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also came in for sustained ribbing at the INDI-Alliance “Maharally”, the butt of everyone’s jokes; some would say, just deserts for the man who set up INDI-Alliance and then turned turncoat to disassemble the opposition alliance formed to toss Prime Minister Narendra Modi into the dustbin of history. But for Nitish Kumar’s exit from INDI-Alliance, this rally of like minds wouldn’t have taken place.
There also wouldn’t have been such a massive gathering of youth. Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, the quintessential young man, spoke and he checked all the right boxes including that the one that the “Agniveer scheme” will burn the Modi government in places where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit wouldn’t have ever imagined. “Agniveer” is a big issue in Bihar, where lack of right jobs is a scourge and the army is a harbinger of jobs.
The bad deal given to the army will reflect in the voting. Perhaps, the Modi-Shah election juggernaut will look at Rahul Gandhi with fresh eyes post this Maharally if Rahul doesn’t muck up with confusing “maximum retail price” with “minimum retail price”. Jairam Ramesh or Sam Pitroda should have told Rahul that Modi isn’t forcing farmers to stick to a “minimum retail price” for their produce. Gaffes such as these make the presumptive prime ministerial candidate of the INDI-Alliance the butt of unwanted jokes.
Going by the size and response to the Patna INDI-Alliance Maharally, BJP+ will be roundly trounced and there will be a “Mahabharat” for who will be INDI-Alliance Prime Minister. The Congress and Rahul Gandhi should be preparing for that moment instead of Rahul losing maximum for minimum. The lakhs gathered at the Patna Gandhi Maidan were looking for a BJP defeat.
Lalu Prasad Yadav promised to “pulverise the BJP”, stating in his typical manner, “Delhi ke upar kabja karna hai…Ye kya hai Modi? Modi koi chiz hai kya.” Is it old Lalu in a new bottle? When Lalu made fun of Nitish Kumar’s flip-flops, it did remind of Lalu’s heydays. In Rahul Gandhi’s words, winds of change are blowing from Bihar to other states. If so, the winds should pick up pace. Sunday’s joint rally was but one, more must be planned.
One per state with the attendance of top INDI-Alliance leaders should do. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fodder for Lalu Prasad Yadav’s jokes and Nitish Kumar easy meat for Tejashvi Yadav’s acidic asides. The father-son duo is a killer combination. And Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav fires from all cylinders. So does CPI’s D. Raja who manages to get his message across. More such rallies featuring INDIA Bloc leaders are needed to combat the BJP’s “divisive politics” to win 2024.
Reverting to Agniveer, it is clear that if Modi gets the boot, it will be because he poked his nose into some things that are above politics. The Indian Army is not the same army it used to be. Agniveer has created a new class of unemployed. There’s now a feeling that the Indian Army needs “saving” when it was always the “Savior”. Jobs galvanize youth and the Patna Maharally has made creating jobs its business with Tejashwi Yadav leading from the front.
So, Rahul Gandhi identified Agniveer and Tejashwi Yadav made sure people did not forget the Modi government’s poor record on job-creation while Akhilesh Yadav reminded the electorate of how “120 Harao” should be in every voter’s mind when casting the 2024 vote. Without dashing Modi’s calculations for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the INDI-Alliance stands no chance. But clogging up one public stage with father, mother and son is “dynastic politics” and countering it with “what can we do if he does not have a family of his own?” is committing daylight harakiri. BJP cadre and leaders are already creating a “Modi Ka Family”. It appears like Modi has been gifted yet another “Victim Card”.
When will the Opposition learn? Why should Lalu Prasad Yadav be talking about Modi “bragging about the Ram temple”? Ram Temple was Modi’s ace in the hole now out in the open and “120 Harao” isn’t possible by belittling Ram. It does not matter whether Modi is a “true Hindu” and whether he got his head and beard shaved on the death of his mother. The INDI-Alliance should take a cue from Tejashwi Yadav’s “Idhar chala, kabhi udhar chala… phisal gaya”. Concentrate on winning the war, forget the skirmishes. (IPA Service)
