Indexed Out
Ghulam Nabi Azad’s autobiography “Azaad” was launched in the national capital by Dr Karan Singh. Speaking at the event, Dr Singh spoke about his long association with Azad, and with Dr Farooq Abdullah occupying the front row, it was clear that the J&K elections were on everyone’s mind. Even Azad spoke against the removal of Article 370. In fact in his book he talks about how when news of Article 370 being revoked was broken in Parliament he rushed to the well of the House in protest and asked the entire opposition to join him in a dharna. However, Azad writes that while most of the Congress leaders present joined him, Jairam Ramesh remained seated. Interestingly, while most of the opposition was present at Azad’s book launch—from Praful Patel, Kanimozhi, Supriya Sule, Priyanka Chaturvedi, K.C. Tyagi, Tiruchi Siva to Jayant Chaudhary—very few Congress leaders made it barring Imran Kidwai, Janardhan Dwivedi and Anand Sharma. Guess the Congress leaders had read the preview copy and wisely decided to abstain. From the BJP, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Dinesh Trivedi were present, as was Kartikeya Sharma, Independent MP, Rajya Sabha. At the end of his address, Dr Karan Singh had a word of advice to Azad’s publishers at Rupa Books. He said before coming for the event he had wanted to see what was written about him and so checked the index to see which pages he was mentioned in, but his name was missing from the index. The publishers have promised to rectify this in the reprint.
Can the Opposition Unite?
Much is being made about Opposition unity, but hours after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge dialled DMK chief M.K. Stalin and talked about setting up a meeting of all the Opposition parties, came Sharad Pawar’s interview contradicting the Congress stand on the Adani issue. Soon after Jairam Ramesh issued a statement rebutting Pawar, stating that “The NCP may have its view but 19 like-minded Opposition parties are convinced that the PM-linked Adani Group issue is real and very serious.” On the Adani issue, there is a divide within the Opposition, with the TMC and the NCP okay with the Supreme Court monitored enquiry route, but the DMK and the Congress are pushing for a JPC. The other question the Opposition has to decide is whether the Adani issue has a pan India emotive appeal to take down the Modi government. Or should they raise other issues such as unemployment and price hike? It would be interesting to note that even in the recent state elections, Adani was not an issue and the Karnataka state unit of the Congress too has asked Rahul to give more emphasis to local issues than raising Adani. The next big ticket question would be of poll alliances—should it be a pre-poll one or post poll? While a pre-poll arrangement would be tougher to work out, it has a constitutional advantage—for the President of India has to call the single largest party or the largest pre-poll alliance to form the government, should there be a hung house. All very crucial issues, and we haven’t even raised the one about the PM candidate. Though the Alkali Dal MP and ex Cabinet minister, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who is known for calling it as it is, has a theory about that. Speaking at the “We Women Want” conclave in the national capital recently she wondered why the BJP was giving Rahul so much mileage and wondered if they were propping him up just so the Opposition would rally behind him and make 2024 a Modi vs Rahul fight.
The Priority List
Also speaking at the “We Women Want” conclave organized by NewsX was Cabinet Minister Smriti Irani. At her feisty best she managed to wow the assembled crowd, some of whom weren’t BJP supporters but had turned up to hear one of Modi government’s most articulate ministers. When asked if she would change her constituency and take on Rahul Gandhi again in the next elections from wherever he contested, the minister replied, “The problem with this question is that you presume my entire life is about Rahul Gandhi. Let me tell you why this is a problem. When the Congress was in power and Meira Kumar ji was the Speaker, I was unanimously elected on behalf of the Asia Pacific Region by the International Parliamentary Union to draft the resolution on the Syrian crisis. No one will tell you that about me. In my media avatar, I have worked on over 20 projects and won awards for being the best in my field. I have done the draft of the National Education Policy…I was textile minister when India became self sufficient in PPE suits. You will not talk about any of this, as though my entire life revolves around what Rahul Gandhi does.” She is right about that, for it is difficult enough to make it in one career, and this is one politician who has been on the “top of her game” in at least two different fields.
Too Many Contenders
Both the BJP and the Congress have a problem of too many CM-face contenders for the Karnataka elections. Which is why both parties will probably go into the polls without announcing a CM face. Within the Congress both the LoP and former CM, Siddaramaiah as well as D.K. Shivakumar, the PCC chief, are aspirants. Siddaramaiah has been quoted in a recent interview claiming that the high command would never make Shivakumar the CM. He has since then denied this statement, claiming he had been misquoted. Siddaramaiah has thrown his hat into the CM ring by stating that he is an aspirant for CM as is D.K. Shivakumar, but in the end, as he says, it would be the party high command’s decision. He also added for good measure and a bit of emotional blackmail that this would be his last election. DKS’ case is also strong. As the state PCC chief he has invested both his resources and organisational skills into rehabilitating the party. But will Rahul Gandhi give DKS his due—or side with Siddaramaiah? Rahul has always been wary of promoting someone from the GenNext vis-à-vis an older leader, as he did in both Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in the last elections. As for the BJP, while the central leadership may prefer Basavaraj Bommai the current CM, they cannot afford to antagonise the more popular B.S. Yediyurappa (BSY) and are giving the latter due importance in the party posters. But as D.K. Shivakumar summed it up quite well, for BSY to win, the BJP has to lose. However, the Congress should not celebrate too soon. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been seen in Karnataka on numerous occasions of late (my source claims 16 visits in the recent past). And by now the Congress should have learnt its lesson in not underestimating HBS.