Congress in Chaos: Milind’s Departure, Yatra Challenges, Ram Mandir Dilemma...

Congress in Chaos: Milind Deora’s Departure, Yatra Challenges, Ram Mandir Dilemma….

KAKALI DAS

On Sunday, 14^th Jan, the Congress Party witnessed significant upheaval, with Milind Deora declaring his departure to join the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, marking the end of his family’s 55-year association with the Congress.

Concurrently, Rahul Gandhi embarked on the second leg of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur. Additionally, the Congress decided, after two weeks of deliberation, not to attend the Ayodhya Ram Temple inauguration, prompting speculation about its political ramifications.

Congress in Chaos: Milind’s Departure, Yatra Challenges, Ram Mandir Dilemma — Milind Deora declaring his departure to join the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena

Following Milind Deora’s resignation, he criticized the Congress Party, stating that it once fostered talent and aimed to progress the country. However, he alleged that the party now solely focuses on opposing PM Modi. Recent discontent from Deora seems to stem from disagreements over seat sharing with the Uddhav Thakre faction of the Shiv Sena.

Notably, Milind Deora and his father traditionally contested the Mumbai South seat, which they lost to Arwind Sawant of the Shiv Sena in the last election. Speculation suggests that in the ongoing seat-sharing discussions in the INDIA block, Deora may have to relinquish the ticket to the Shiv Sena, a prospect he reportedly disapproves of.

The Times of India reports that initial plans for Milind Deora to join the BJP were scrapped after Eknath Shinde promised him consideration for a Rajya Sabha seat. Consequently, Deora chose to align with the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena.

A senior Shiv Sena functionary conveyed to TOI, “He decided to join the Shiv Sena on Shinde’s assurance that he will be considered for nomination to Rajya Sabha in place of Anil Desai whose term is near incompletion and who is with the Uddhav Thakre faction.”

This departure signals a warning for the Congress, losing several young leaders like Jyotiraditya Scindia and Milind Deora, once seen as the party’s future.

This suggests that Rahul Gandhi struggled to retain talent closely associated with him. Milind Deora and his father, Murli Deora, played pivotal roles in Congress, with Murli having a close relationship with Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi since the ‘80s. Despite familial ties, their inability to retain Milind hints at a potential disconnect between the Gandhi family and the party’s internal dynamics and decision-making.

Milind Deora reportedly departed from the party, citing a prolonged and unproductive wait for attention. His resignation coincided with Rahul Gandhi’s commencement of a yatra. Some Congress members accused the BJP of strategically timing Deora’s exit to divert attention from the ongoing yatra.

The Yatra marks the one-year anniversary of the follow-up to the successful Bharat Jodo Yatra within the Congress party.

Rahul Gandhi, who walked 3,000 kilometres from Kanyakumari to Srinagar in the first leg, is set to cover twice the distance, spanning 6,700 km across 15 states in the second leg starting from Manipur and concluding in Mumbai on March 20. A custom-made Volvo bus will enable him to address crowds while on the move during this extensive journey.

The party’s decision to commence the Yatra in Manipur aims to highlight ongoing ethnic strife in the state. Jairam Ramesh of the Congress party stated that the Prime Minister’s absence from Manipur for about eight months and his continued silence on the matter prompted this choice.

Rahul Gandhi, addressing Manipur, pledged, “We commit to bringing you the values, harmony, peace, and affection for which this state is known.” He attributed the violence to the BJP and RSS, characterizing it as a manifestation of the ideology of hate.

However, notably absent at the Yatra inauguration were most INDIA alliance members, with only Danish Ali, who is now suspended from the Samajwadi Party, visibly present. Twitter users speculated that numerous Congress leaders couldn’t make it to Delhi on time due to severe flight delays nationwide, highlighting a lack of the INDIA block’s representation at the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Thus, the lingering question is whether Deora’s departure will adversely affect the Congress party and potentially exacerbate the challenges faced by the INDIA Alliance, raising concerns about the implications of such developments.

The Congress party’s choice to abstain from the inauguration of the Ram Temple has significantly drawn criticism from political analysts and close observers who deem it a questionable decision. These developments coincide with a rising Mandir fever across the nation, evident in planned trips, inaugural buses, special trains, and flights heading towards Ayodhya. The excitement suggests widespread national participation in this event.

On January 10^th, the Congress Party announced its decision to abstain from the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya scheduled for January 22^nd, eliciting dissatisfaction from political observers.

The party’s statement asserted “While Lord Ram is worshipped by millions, religion remains a personal matter. However, the RSS and BJP have turned the Ayodhya Temple into a political project. The BJP and RSS leaders’ expedited inauguration of the incomplete Temple is evidently driven by electoral motives.”

Given the political significance of the Ram Temple and the Indian political landscape, some argue that Congress’s decision to step away on the grounds of secularism may not be strategically sound. Notably, it was Rajiv Gandhi in 1989 who opened the locks of the Babri Masjid, initiating this conversation.

The Congress seems to be avoiding ownership of this legacy, especially as the movement began during Indira Gandhi’s tenure, who allowed the procession. The party’s current distancing raises concerns, as it appears caught between conflicting sentiments—avoiding Ayodhya to avoid endorsing the Prime Minister yet potentially alienating itself from a nation celebrating the Ram Mandir.

Research indicates, as highlighted by Nirja Chowdhury in one of her articles, that many Hindus in India harbor strong emotions regarding the Ram Mandir, irrespective of their political stance towards the BJP. The Congress’s decision to stay away from the event might result in alienation, posing the potential for a strategic misstep.

Considering all these factors collectively, can the Bharat Jodo Yatra currently gain political traction or divert attention from the emotive Ram Mandir issue?

The Congress, facing losses in both young and longstanding talent, coupled with the decision to abstain from the Ram Mandir event, raises questions about the party’s nuanced and sophisticated decision-making.

As it enters seat-sharing discussions with strong allies like Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, who are resolute in retaining their own ground, doubts emerge about the Congress’s preparedness to hold the INDIA Alliance together for the upcoming significant election.

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