Time for Rahul Gandhi to Directly Challenge PM Modi — as Leader of Opposition

The virtual doubling of the Congress tally in these elections has helped Rahul establish his political credentials.

New Delhi: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrive for the INDIA bloc leaders� meeting, in New Delhi, Wednesday, June 5, 2024.

(Photo: PTI)

The Congress-led INDIA bloc may not have succeeded in denying Prime Minister Modi a third consecutive term in office, but the Lok Sabha election results have been particularly gratifying for Nehru-Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi.

The virtual doubling of the Congress tally in these elections has helped Rahul Gandhi establish his political credentials. This must come as a relief since the Congress leader has been incessantly caricatured by the Bharatiya Janata Party as “Pappu” and a dilettante who does not have the requisite qualities to lead the country. A fair share of his own party members have also been sceptical about his capabilities, especially since he was unable to deliver electoral victories for the party.

The party’s poor performance in the last two Lok Sabha elections, when it won a mere 44 and 52 seats, respectively, always rankled with the rank and file, leading to a steady exodus from the Congress to the rival camp. The latest election results have given hope to Congress cadres that Rahul Gandhi has the potential to revive the party.

Having led two Bharat Jodo Yatras and campaigned vigorously in the recently concluded elections, it is logical that Rahul Gandhi should go a step further and take on the post of leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, a position that can no longer be denied to the principal opposition party given its increased bench strength.

The post comes with all the perks that come with a cabinet rank but it also requires a lot of work. It will pit Rahul Gandhi directly against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and given the BJP’s past record, he will be under constant attack from the ruling party members.

On his part, the leader of the opposition has to be constantly combat-ready to take on the treasury benches, lead from the front in key debates, and establish a sound working relationship with the other opposition leaders for floor coordination during a Parliament session. So far, most opposition leaders have been reluctant to accept Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, but perhaps it is time the Congress leader took the necessary plunge if he is to be seen as a serious politician.

Under Rahul, Congress and Allies Ran a Focused Campaign

As of now, the Congress and other members of the INDIA bloc can draw satisfaction from their combined efforts, which effectively stopped the BJP from reaching the halfway mark of 272 in the 543-member Lok Sabha, thus changing the dynamics of the ruling coalition as well as the BJP’s relationship with its political opponents. Modi’s larger-than-life image has taken a beating, while his polarising campaign has shown its limitations.

The INDIA bloc owes its increased tally to its improved performance in the key states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. While Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress took the lead in containing the BJP in West Bengal, the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance shocked the saffron party by reducing its numbers substantially in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, which sends the highest number of MPs to the Lok Sabha.

Of the 80 seats in the state, the BJP’s numbers were reduced substantially from the 62 seats that it won in 2019 to 34 in 2024, while the combined efforts of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav put their parties ahead with 42 seats. The BJP’s defeat in Faizabad, of which Ayodhya is a part, showed that the hype created by the saffron party over the consecration of the Ram Temple to consolidate Hindu votes failed to resonate with voters in Uttar Pradesh as livelihood issues took precedence.

Though the Congress was at the receiving end of delaying seat-sharing negotiations with its allies, which set the INDIA bloc on a late start, the allies eventually managed to work together without any rancour. Unlike the 2017 polls in Uttar Pradesh, when Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi failed to make an impact, the two leaders and their cadres worked in tandem this time. The credit for this goes to the SP leader, who made a special effort to ensure the alliance worked on the ground and there was a seamless transfer of votes. Akhilesh Yadav was also helped by his smart distribution of tickets as he realised the limitations of his party’s traditional Muslim-Yadav social base and sought to expand it to include Dalits and non-Yadav backward classes.

If Uttar Pradesh knocked the BJP off its pedestal, Maharashtra also did its bit in containing the saffron party. The turnaround was brought about by the new grouping, Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress were ahead of their rivals. This is particularly creditable, as both Sharad Pawar’s NCP and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena witnessed internal rebellion, with large sections of their members walking out to form a government with the BJP. The people of Maharashtra clearly rejected the BJP’s brand of smash-and-grab politics.

Having come in for sharp attack in the past for its poor messaging and social media presence, the Congress and its allies ran a focused campaign as they refused to get distracted by Modi’s divisive speeches and instead targeted the BJP government by concentrating on five major issues: price rise, unemployment, agrarian distress, electoral bond-related corruption, and, most importantly, the BJP’s plans to change the Constitution to do away with reservations.

All these issues, particularly the fear of losing reservations, resonated with the voters both in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, ensuring the consolidation of Dalits in favour of the INDIA bloc. If Modi was banking on the support of women on account of providing free rations, this was offset by the anger among the youth, who complained bitterly about the lack of employment opportunities, paper leaks, and the Agniveer scheme.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi is putting on a brave face, describing the result as a victory for the NDA (not the BJP, as would be expected otherwise), the electoral outcome has clearly not met his expectations. Not only was Modi eyeing a record tally of 400 seats to overtake Rajiv Gandhi’s past record, he was also keen on securing a place in history by equaling Jawaharlal Nehru’s record of winning three terms. Modi is undoubtedly set to occupy the Prime Minister’s kursi for the third time, but his inability to get a simple majority for the BJP and his increased dependence on allies have taken the sheen off this “victory.”

Having come this far, it is now time for Rahul Gandhi to step up his game and take the next step to challenge Modi. Most recently, on Thursday, he even demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) inquiry against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and others who he said were involved in the “biggest stock market scam” with respect to the exit polls.

The post of the Leader of the Opposition awaits.