Congress sounds poll bugle; Rahul to take call on state-specific alliances

Seeking to place party president Rahul Gandhi as the prime challenger of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the newly reconstituted Congress Working Committee on Sunday emphasised that he would be the face of the party's campaign for the next Lok Sabha elections. It also authorised Rahul to take decision on forming state-specific alliances to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the polls scheduled to be held next year.

“The Congress would fight this election by putting forward our leader Rahul Gandhi,” said party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala responding to a question on whether Rahul would be projected as the Congress' prime ministerial candidate in the elections.

He said that prior to 2004, similar questions were asked about the leadership of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. “We had said that the people will decide. We got 200 MPs. And Soniaji, who was our leader, took the decision that Manmohan Singhji would be the prime minister... If we get the blessings of the people, and we emerge as the biggest party, he (Rahul Gandhi) will be the face of it,” Surjewala, who was briefing reporters about the inaugural meeting of the new CWC which was recently reconstituted by Rahul.

The thrust of the five-hour-long meeting was on setting the course for the party for the next Lok Sabha elections. The CWC sounded the bugle for the polls, and attempted to place Rahul at the centre of the 'oust-Modi' initiative by authorising him to take a call on forming state-specific alliances with the aim of defeating the BJP. This brings Rahul, who took over as Congress president in December last year, at the forefront of the party's negotiations with other parties, a task which many expected would continue to be Sonia's owing to her excellent rapport with leaders of other opposition parties.

Setting the tone for the elections, Rahul, in his address at the CWC meet, said the political discourse has to be steered away from the “communal” and “divisive” agenda of the Modi government to that of the issues of farmers, jobless youth, weakening of the economy and the atrocities against dalits, adivasis, backward communities and women.

Asking Congress members not to lose sight of the immediate goal, which is to defeat Modi and the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, he said, “The failed prime minister and failed Modi government have nothing to offer except for a poisonous and venomous divide and rule policy.”

Rahul evidently built on his gesture of hugging Modi in the Lok Sabha during the no-confidence debate, which was clearly done with the intent of drawing a contrast between the BJP's and RSS' ideology of “hatred”, and the Congress' vision of “communal amity”.

He particularly pointed out that the youth as also the women and downtrodden sections could play a stellar role in building up a block of opposition to the Modi regime.

On alliances, he said the Congress' interests will not be ignored, but in national interest, in the states, wherever alliances are needed, they will be formed on the basis of national issues.

“In the short term, we can come together with other parties and win the coming elections. After that, the damage done by the BJP and the RSS to India's institutions will have to be undone. Only the Congress can do it,” Rahul said.

Apparently referring to the controversial remarks made by some Congress leaders, which have been latched on to by the BJP, Rahul warned that he would not hesitate to take action against such leaders. 

“I am fighting bigger fights. Everyone has the right to speak in party forum but if a party leader gives a wrong statement and weakens this fight, I will not hesitate to take action,” he said.

The meeting of the extended CWC was attended by the newly appointed members as also past and present chief ministers, PCC chiefs and heads of frontal departments.