Congress faces tests as Rahul Gandhi pushes Gen Z and Dalit politics.
The political approach adopted by Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has placed the Congress party in a dilemma. Rahul has compounded the party’s difficulties by opening two fronts simultaneously: one centred on ‘Gen Z’ and the other on Dalit politics. Party National President Mallikarjun Kharge is not lagging behind in championing Dalit politics either; he never misses an opportunity to please his leader, Rahul Gandhi. In terms of age and stature, Kharge is effectively playing the role of a ‘Bhishma Pitamah’ (patriarchal figure). He remains unconcerned about whether an issue is right or wrong, or whether it benefits or harms the party; his sole focus is on keeping Rahul Gandhi happy. No one seems worried about the party’s continuous electoral defeats in various states. Elections in five crucial states are approaching, alongside other polls scheduled for September—including the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections and local body elections in Rajasthan.
These contests will serve as the first test for Rahul’s ‘Gen Z’ and Dalit-centric agenda. Subsequently, the results from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur will reveal the true validity of the issues Rahul has championed. Consider the local body elections in Rajasthan: the BJP has fielded 51 per cent young candidates, while the Congress has fielded 49 per cent; clearly, both parties are courting Gen Z. This presents a major opportunity for the Congress. If the Congress fails to win even under these circumstances, questions will inevitably be raised. The party faces a dilemma: the ‘Dalit card’ is unlikely to work in Rajasthan and could even prove counterproductive. However, the real test regarding Gen Z lies in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections. Initial reports are unfavourable for the Congress; the weakness of the central organisation inevitably leads to a poor state of affairs at the grassroots level, as functionaries in frontal organisations focus more on appeasing leaders than on effective mobilisation.
The Youth Congress, NSUI and Mahila Congress have lost their former influence. Ironically, the very AISA student activists whom Rahul Gandhi had rallied alongside are now opposing the Congress. AISA has announced its candidates and commenced campaigning at Delhi University, targeting both the Congress and the BJP. Congress strategists are anxious, struggling to find strong candidates, even though prominent leaders such as Treasurer Ajay Maken and Mahila Congress President Alka Lamba emerged from Delhi student politics. Yet, fearing defeat, no leader wants to get involved in the fray. This situation persists despite Rahul Gandhi—the party’s top leader—personally spearheading the Gen Z movement that erupted over the paper leak scandal. He remains aggressive against the Modi government, never hesitating to amplify even minor issues and consistently championing the voice of Gen Z on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) through initiatives such as the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ (Voice of Students) campaign.
The ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ (Students’ Resonance) event is scheduled to take place in Indore on the 17th of this month. Despite all these efforts, the path ahead for the Congress party in the Delhi University Students’ Union elections remains far from easy. Meanwhile, at Panjab University, the BJP’s student wing, ABVP, defeated the Congress-affiliated NSUI. Amidst this, Rahul Gandhi has amplified the Dalit issue. While the party is unlikely to gain any significant advantage from this in Uttar Pradesh, it is certain to suffer losses in Uttarakhand. The Congress has sought to escalate the issue by linking it to Dalit sentiments, following an incident where the rally ground used by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, underwent a ‘purification’ ritual. The situation has taken an interesting turn; the organisers—who themselves belong to the Dalit community— have filed a counter-case against Rahul Gandhi under the SC/ST Act. Meanwhile, the Congress is planning a rally on the Dalit issue in Dehradun this Monday. Congress members in the state are distressed, as Uttarakhand has a 70 per cent upper-caste population; in many areas.
