In line with Rahul Gandhi’s absence in Bengal, former Minister Mallikarjun Kharge has said that Rahul Gandhi will definitely, come to Bengal. He goes further to say that Mr. Gandhi will come also come in your dreams. Kharge also pointed out that BJP is afraid of Rahul Gandhi. That’s the reason, they are worried about his absence. Congress’s senior minister Kharge is also confident that Rahul Gandhi will become a nightmare to BJP.
Commenting on BJP’s contention on Rahul Gandhi’s absence, Kharge said, “If he comes, you’ll say he came and in either case, you have a complaint.” Speaking in Karnataka’s Belagavi, Mr. Kharge also spoke about Arun Singh’s allegation against Sathish Jarkikholli being a bad example to India’s culture. He said, Sathish Jarkiholli is walking the path of Basavanna and he’s doing his duty as per the Indian constitution.
The Curious Case Of Rahul And Priyanka’s Absence
Their absence in Bengal appears to be strange while the duo has campaigned heavily in other states. The ongoing WB Assembly election 2021 has become a stage for most high-profile battles. While BJP is trying to grab power in the state, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is all set to regain power for a third consecutive time, countering the anti-incumbency wave.
On the other hand, Congress, an erstwhile powerhouse in Bengal, CPI (M) and Abbas Siddique-led new political party Indian Secural Front (ISF), is fighting from a front named ‘Sanjukta Morcha’. However, Congress and its top leader Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi’s have been absent from the election scene in the state.
Congress has campaigned in Kerala. Rahul Gandhi has visited Tamil Nadu multiple times but their absence in Bengal looks curious. In the 2016 Bengal Assembly elections, Congress bagged 44 seats along with the left front, becoming the largest opposition party. Has the scenario changed in the last 5 years?
Congress is Dependent
It’s clear that Congress is weak and is largely dependent on regional parties to challenge BJP and its allies in the state elections, just like the Bihar Assembly election last year. It will be TMC VS BJP in West Bengal, though Congress enjoys the direct support of CPI (M) and ISF.
Another reason behind the absence of the Gandhis can be their apparent disinterest to go all out against Mamata Banerjee. Recently, Mamata wrote a letter to all the top anti-BJP political leaders of India, urging them to stand unitedly to baffle the saffron party.
Over the years, Mamata Banerjee has emerged as one of the primary faces to counter Modi and Shah. With leaders like Uddhav Thackeray, M K Stalin, and Hemant Soren expressing their support for Didi, Congress is seemingly wary of enraging her.
According to a report by Outlook, Rahul Gandhi has decided to campaign in Bengal after the end of the voting process in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam. He will apparently conduct rallies in pockets where the Congress has the maximum chance of winning, like in Malda, Murshidabad, Darjeeling, which go to polls in the last three phases.
On May 2, Bengal’s fate will be decided. Also, it will decide the future course of Congress.
