Akhilesh has a cycle moment
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced austerity measures to counter the rising fuel prices (impacted by the war in West Asia), all BJP ministers and chief ministers have taken to using public transport, cycles and two-wheelers. So now we have ministers and BJP leaders posting selfies and videos of themselves in an “austere mode”. A video of a Chief Minister has gone viral, as he sits in a Metro compartment, flanked by his security team while there is no member of the public in the almost empty compartment. A user on X has posted the said picture with a plea, please take your cavalcade instead and leave the public transport free for the public. There is another Chief Minister who has posted a picture of himself flying economy on Indigo, leading a user to ask whether flying economy used less fuel than flying business class. A third reel shows a Delhi minister cycling to office while the frame also captures his car following him (at snail’s pace).
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav has tweeted an impish cartoon of himself riding a cycle stating “we had always been maintaining that the cycle is the best option” The cycle, as you know, is the Samajwadi Party’s symbol.
The Importance of Being K.C. Venugopal
What next for K.C. Venugopal? Has his position weakened or strengthened post the Keralam CM saga? The conventional view has it that a general secretary (organisation), who cannot swing a chief ministership for himself, will have little clout to help anyone else. But there is always a difference between letter and spirit.
While it is correct that KCV’s authority has received a setback after his failed bid to become CM, this has not necessarily eroded his equation with Rahul Gandhi. If anything, the length of time it took to persuade him to step aside as well as the (apparent) grace with which he accepted the “High Command’s” decision to sidestep him will stand KCV in good stead. Don’t forget, Rahul Gandhi also appreciates “tyaag” or sacrifice (remember, power is poison?). So given that, perhaps one should not write off KCV so fast.
The Conspiracy Theory
There is also a conspiracy theory doing the rounds within the Congress: K.C. Venugopal was never meant to be the Keralam CM. The choice was V.D. Satheesan all along but the entire charade was choreographed so that KCV would emerge as someone who had a legitimate bid for the job but sacrificed his claim to show what a good team-player he was. Think of it: he was first built up as the obvious choice (given that he had a major share in deciding which candidate would be given a ticket, it was not surprising that he would emerge as the first choice of the elected MLAs). However, once that was established, he could step back and allow the High Command’s choice to prevail.
This ensures two things—one it gives KCV a high moral ground of someone who is willing to take a hit for the team. Second, it also ensures that Rahul Gandhi can rise above playing favourites and take decisions that are good for the party.
But here comes the big question—has KCV come out of all this on a moral high ground or has his credibility been dented drastically? Also, there is the role of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. According to some Congress leaders, it was Priyanka who fought for Satheesan (since she is an MP from the state). And if these leaders are to be believed, this win has paved the way for Priyanka to play a larger role within the organisation. What that role will be—and whose role she will take over—remains to be seen.
