In the season of opposition unity, a dinner hosted by senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Monday assumes political significance for the efforts to explore possibilities of getting the non-BJP parties on a common platform in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 even as it conveys a message to the Gandhis about the urgent need for them to rise to the occasion.
The turn-out at the dinner hosted by Sibal at his official residence Eight, Teen Murti Lane was impressive, with the who's who of the opposition bloc attending the do. The event saw the attendance of representatives of almost all non-NDA parties except for the Bahujan Samaj Party.
The gathering transcended the barriers evident in Parliament, where some parties such as the BJD and the YSR Congress have chosen to be fence-sitters, the Akali Dal has held its own separate agitation over the three contentious farm laws and others like the TDP have kept their distance from the joint opposition protests against the Narendra Modi government.
It is believed that while the official rationale for the gathering was the celebration of Sibal's 73rd birthday, it was perceived as a show of strength for the G-23 group of leaders, many of whom were also present on the occasion. The impressive guest list made possible an opportunity for the leaders to muse on political issues and talk about the need for the opposition parties to join forces against Prime Minister Modi and the BJP.
Prominent leaders like Sharad Pawar, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav were present at Sibal's dinner, and comparisons are being made with the breakfast meeting hosted by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi recently, which was attended by over a hundred MPs from 15 parties. The absence of the Gandhis at the bash and the engagement of a section of the Congress with prominent opposition leaders through an initiative that does not flow from them carries a message for the Congress' first family.
The Group of 23 leaders had around the same time last year written a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi asking for urgent steps to be taken to revive the party, including an organisational overhaul, elections at all levels in the party and a full-time leadership that is visible and effective. Their primary demands have not yet been met even as Sonia has attempted to weaken the group by sidelining some of them and accommodating others.
However, the dinner gathering comes as a wake up call for the Gandhis, providing evidence of the G23 continuing to be alive and kicking. At a time when Rahul has attempted to reach out to the opposition parties, the 'rebels' have managed an impressive outreach of its own to the non-BJP group.
