The two-day meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) held at Mumbai, has left a lot to be desired, and unless senior leaders come forward and play a more decisive role, its objectives would be difficult to achieve.
The multiple panels that were declared in India’s financial capital lack gravitas, and indicate that various parties were keeping their cards close to their chest by mostly fielding second or third string leaders to discuss important matters.
The 13-member Coordination Committee has very few prominent names. Instead of nominating their representatives, leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar, Abhishek Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray, Arvind Kejriwal and M.K. Stalin should have been a part of this important committee, which appears to be extremely weak.
The determination and clarity that was witnessed in Patna and later in Bengaluru was missing in Mumbai. So was the intent. The impression was that top leaders were keeping themselves away from any responsibility because they were looking at a greater role for themselves in the post-election scenario.
Sharad Pawar was included, perhaps to ensure that it would make it difficult for him to switch sides, if at a later stage he wishes to join hands with his nephew Ajit Pawar. If this is true, it is evident that other allies are suspicious of his designs.
Otherwise also, the NCP faction which Pawar heads, did not have too many posters in Mumbai when all other parties had come out with their own hoardings etc. Pawar’s influence is diminishing, and is probably there in only four districts of Maharashtra. However, his name is big and from the panel it appears that he is the mega star, which he no longer is, with a cast of failed or aspiring actors.
The committees are dominated by Congress nominees. Even in the Coordination Committee, which has Pawar as a member, K.C. Venugopal’s name is before him. Political analysts may tend to believe that it was done to humiliate the Maharashtra “strongman” and to show him his political status as it exists now. However, Venugopal is himself a political lightweight, who is personally not very conversant with the nuances and subtleties of national politics. With no disrespect to him, he is not in the same league as many top Congress leaders are, and his being there shows that Rahul Gandhi was still calling all the shots in the party.
The Congress is certainly going to be the nucleus of any anti-BJP formation. Therefore, its nominee on the panel should be fully aware of what he has on his plate, and cannot be running to his benefactors for advice and counsel on every small issue. In other words, Venugopal is not a Makhan Lal Fotedar (Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi’s political adviser) or for that matter an Ahmed Patel or Ambika Soni, who played a similar role with Sonia Gandhi.
Venugopal is just an ambassador who has been sent to the high table to play the game, and would be substituted at an appropriate time.
There is a talk in the Congress circles that Venugopal could be divested of his present responsibilities, and given some other important assignment shortly. The Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge has so far refrained from appointing a political secretary for himself, and has allowed Venugopal to occupy an important position in order to maintain the status quo. However, it does not mean that he may not make his own choices in the future.
There are several names doing the rounds in Congress circles regarding the possible successors to Venugopal, so far as his current position is concerned. In the past, it had been suggested to Kharge that he should pick up a key political aide from amongst the former Indian Youth Congress presidents such as Tariq Anwar, Mukul Wasnik, Ramesh Chennithala and Manish Tewari. There was at one time even the talk of Ajay Maken being drafted for the job. However, the decision would have to be that of Mr Kharge, sooner than later.
Coming back to the I.N.D.I.A. combine meeting, the fact that no political resolution was passed shows that there were still unresolved matters that were yet to be fully addressed. At every meeting, some leader or the other throws a tantrum, which gets highlighted in the media for the wrong reasons.
No political party or coalition is unbeatable, and this holds true of the BJP and NDA as well. However, to do that there has to be greater effort to achieve the objectives. The alliance must seize the political narrative and put the BJP in a reactive mode, if it has to go any further. Of course, in the end, the people would decide as to who should be in power after the next parliamentary elections, but those who would make the claim, must also look responsible and capable.
The panels that were announced in Mumbai should have had more experienced members. I.N.D.I.A. cannot field its “B” team to win the biggest electoral battle of the current times. The BJP led by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, at this juncture, appears to be better prepared and is certainly not going to give even an inch to the Opposition. However, even the best of teams can be vanquished if all goes well, when the confrontation takes place.
The I.N.D.I.A. combine needs greater motivation and intent. It has the potential but needs to sit together to fully realise it. The leaders have big egos that need to be repeatedly given a reality check. Between us.