The Best is Yet to Come?
The Congress celebrated Mallikarjun Kharge completing 50 years in politics with a high-profile book launch to celebrate the same. On the dais were Sonia Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury, T.R. Balu and Manoj Jha. The optics were there to showcase this as a celebration by the I.N.D.I.A bloc and not just the Congress, and to Kharge’s credit, the compliments flowed easily from those on stage. The interesting part was that the allies asked Kharge to take the lead in the Opposition’s fight against the BJP. When it was her turn to speak, Sonia Gandhi too commented that Kharge was a “strong organizational leader who enjoys our confidence and is best suited to lead our party in this historic battle for India’s soul”. So, if the signs are right then this could be the beginning of a move to propel the current Congress chief as the leader of the I.N.D.I.A bloc. In fact, Yechury praised Kharge for his credibility and honesty, stating that when the CPM reached out for an alliance in Telangana it didn’t happen but Kharge was honest enough to explain the difficulties (as to why the alliance would not happen). Yechury added that “credibility is important”. Abhishek Manu Singhvi summed up the mood best with his blurb for the book: “Kharge has conquered many diverse peaks but the best is yet to come.”
Newsroom Banter
Post the recording of a Roundtable on exit polls, when the panelists were discussing various scenarios, a question came up as to whether T.S. Singh Deo would join hands with the BJP, should the Assembly results throw up a hung house in Chhattisgarh. To which political analyst P.K.D. Nambiar pointed out that he was on an interview with Singh Deo when this question was asked and the Congress leader had asserted that he was 100% sure he would never leave the party. At which point, another panelist, Ashutosh, Founding Editor of SatyaHindi.Com, who was also formerly with the Aam Admi Party, quipped that these guarantees don’t count for very much, something he learned the hard way, as he was also 100% sure he would never leave AAP when he had joined the party. Also present on the show was political analyst and a keen Congress supporter, Tehseen Poonawala, who added with a laugh, “And my brother was also 100% sure he would never join the BJP.” As we all know, Shehzad Poonawala, who was often seen on TV debates defending the Congress, has not only joined the BJP, but has also risen quickly to become one of its star spokespersons. So be careful of not taking political guarantees at face value, even if they come with a 100% assurance.
Rajya Sabha from Himachal?
It is never too early to begin lobbying for a Rajya Sabha seat. Ever since Himachal Pradesh changed hands from the BJP to the Congress, the BJP chief J.P. Nadda’s seat will be falling vacant in April next year. While Nadda is sure to be accommodated from elsewhere, as the BJP doesn’t have a shortage of Rajya Sahba seats, there is hectic lobbying for the seat that has now fallen into the Congress party’s kitty. The list of aspirants includes Anand Sharma, Congress leader from the state and currently without a Rajya Sabha seat. But will Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu oblige?