Musical chairs
There was a little musical-chairs of nameplates, as rooms were swapped at 24 Akbar Road. Rahul Gandhi, now Congress President, has replaced Sonia Gandhi. But as the celebrations and sweet distribution after the transfer of power continued, few noticed the vacant holder and an older nameplate lying askew on a chair outside the old V-P’s room. Sonia is expected to get the room next to the Congress chief; her role as UPA chairperson, which is intact, will be invoked for that.
But the nameplate isn’t ready and how to make formal space for a UPA designation in the Congress office that was the whispered discussion. Not that either Rahul or Sonia would be using their AICC offices. That tradition ceased with Sitaram Kesari. Sonia prefers the adjacent 10 Janpath and Rahul his 12 Tuglaq Lane residence.
At AICC, the anticipation is more about the profound changes in the top rung that would follow: the aging party treasurer Motilal Vora, organisational general secretary Janardan Dwivedi and the outgoing Congress president’s political secretary, Ahmed Patel. Going by the buzz, Rahul may opt for a younger treasurer capable of raising funds. Patel may undergo a designation change. Instead of being political secretary to the Congress president, he would now be attached to the UPA chairperson. Either Ashok Gehlot or Ajay Maken or Randeep Singh Surjewala or K. Raju could be the all-important secretary to the new chief.
Putting up a show
Lest it’s accused of giving up even before the game is over, like it did in Goa and Manipur, the Congress is keeping up its fighting foot forward in Gujarat. Asserting that not the exit poll results but the real results matter and that they would come as a surprise, GPCC chief Madhavsinh Solanki called his party leaders and workers to the Ahmedabad headquarters to do a constituency-wise analysis.
Those who attended claimed the ground report suggests the Congress would get 48 in the first phase and 60 in the second, if there’s no “hanky-panky”. However, the Congress war-room in Delhi seems to have prepared two parallel strategies, one tailored for the party losing Gujarat and one if it wins the state. Himachal, meanwhile, does not seem to be getting much attention, except in Hardik Patel’s tweets.
What’s in store for Hardik
Though the Patidar agitation mascot Hardik Patel will hear none of this, one of his old mentors indicated that he would be willing to join the Congress, post April 18, to prepare for 2019. That is, if the GoP makes a good offer. He will not make the first move. In the absence of an offer from the Congress, Hardik may float his own political outfit to take on the BJP on his own. “Lambe daur ka ghora’’ is how he’s being described, provided he plays his cards well. The skeptics, however, feel that without the protection of the Congress, he may find the going difficult, particularly if the BJP wins Gujarat.
Gandhi reunion?
Now that Priyanka Vadra Gandhi has denied that she would be contesting Rae Bareli in 2019, another fevered speculation is afloat. Despite Priyanka’s assertion that her mother would herself contest, younger Congress leaders believe Rahul could be shifting to Rae Bareli, vacating Amethi for Varun Gandhi. Gandhi’s estranged cousin, who sees little future for himself in BJP, could later be projected as the Congress’s UP CM candidate. A similar reunion proposal, however, had been shot down by Sonia in no uncertain terms.
Gujarat tally
The Gujarat election campaign itself has taken a heavy toll on Narendra Modi’s schedule the past two months. The PM had to skip two functions considered sacrosanct by the Armed Forces, both for his home turf engagements—the Air Force Day and the Navy Day. Defence personnel look forward to these occasions when they not only get to shake hands with the PM, but also get photo-ops. PMs usually never skip these events seen as morale-boosters for the forces.
No exit from dilemma
Despite the favourable exit poll projections, the BJP seems divided over the likely outcome. Part of the central team that went is of the view that the surveys did not reflect the ground reality. The BJP’s in-house psephologist, however, has given the party a tally between 110 and 120, sources claimed.
Santwana Bhattacharya
The author is Political Editor, TNIE.
Email: santwana@newindianexpress.com