Congress is the only opposition party openly confronting the BJP.
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has shifted his focus away from other issues and is now striving to give a fresh impetus to Congress politics by relying on the youth. Political developments both inside and outside Parliament over the past three weeks clearly indicate that Rahul is pursuing a ‘go-it-alone’ strategy. If others join in, well and good; otherwise, there is no longer a need for allies. However, the Samajwadi Party remains the only remaining constituent of the INDIA bloc that still commands significant numerical strength.
The party’s standing will become clear only after the Uttar Pradesh elections; if the BJP forms the government in the state for a third consecutive term, the Samajwadi Party’s existence could mirror that of the other parties in the INDIA bloc. All the remaining parties in the INDIA bloc have become significantly weakened. In this scenario, the Congress is the only opposition party openly confronting the BJP. Rahul Gandhi shows no signs of backing down on any issue. The upcoming election results in five states will determine the impact of his strategy of taking on the BJP head-on. While his sister, Priyanka Gandhi, appears to stand by him in this campaign, she cannot achieve much without a formal responsibility; she has held the post of general secretary for a long time without a specific portfolio and has been effectively without a designated role since the 2022 Uttar Pradesh defeat. However, she stood firmly with her brother against the government—from the Parliament to the streets—on the issue of paper leaks.
The siblings displayed a completely transformed attitude; undeterred by heat or rain, they are missing no opportunity to corner the government. Alongside youth-centric issues, the Congress does occasionally raise matters like the Ram Mandir theft and ethanol-blended fuel; however, its primary focus remains on paper leaks and unemployment affecting the youth. There is little interest in the Ram Mandir theft issue, partly because neither Rahul Gandhi nor other senior Congress leaders visited Ayodhya for darshan or contributed donations. Furthermore, the Congress believes the Ram Mandir issue could backfire. In contrast, the Samajwadi Party—the Congress’s only major ally—shows greater interest in the Ram Mandir theft issue. The Congress appears to be increasingly focused on attracting national attention by adopting a “go-it-alone” policy. This is why the Congress remains aggressive on the issue of youth concerns, even after the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Rahul Gandhi has now launched a direct offensive against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, aiming to portray the BJP as anti-youth.
Two underlying reasons have emerged for this strategy: first, by vigorously raising youth-related issues, he ensures the party remains in the headlines; second, the Congress is attempting to prevent the government from passing the Delimitation Bill. The final week of the Monsoon Session runs from Monday to Thursday, and there is no likelihood of a shift in the Congress’s strategy during these four days. On Saturday, while Rahul Gandhi was in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was in Haldwani, within Uttarakhand’s Kumaon division. In his address, Kharge prioritized the issues of youth and paper leaks. Rahul Gandhi had already set the tone for the election by holding the “Chhatron Ki Goonj” (Voice of Students) event in Dehradun, Uttarakhand; he replicated this approach in Prayagraj on Saturday, making the youth a central electoral issue for Uttar Pradesh as well.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Congress intends to combine youth-centric politics with an agenda focused on Dalits and backward classes. Since the formation of the 18th Lok Sabha, the Congress has consistently caused disruptions in Parliament. The Congress strategy has been to seize upon a specific issue and go on the offensive. Issues such as the Constitution being in danger, the lack of jobs for backward classes, promises to raise reservation limits, the SIR (Special Investigation Report) matter, and allegations of vote theft have all been used to halt parliamentary business. It is worth noting that the coalition Congress formed under the banner of the ‘INDIA bloc’ has steadily shrunk after every election.
