Will Mahua’s expulsion act as a glue for INDIA alliance? | Faraz Ahmad

December 10, 2023

After days of suspense over the fate of the INDIA alliance following the crushing defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party gave to the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhatisgarh, presuming that before the coming general elections most of the leading constituents of INDIA may fall apart out of despondency, for the first time on December 8 the sight of INDIA bloc standing together behind Trinamul Congress young, firebrand woman MP Mahua Moitra, provided some degree of solace to many that all is not lost and the Opposition is still capable of standing together in an adversity heaped on one by Modi brigade.

It is evident by now that Modi and his army in Parliament, in media and all around, won’t spare anyone raising a finger on Modi’s best friend Gautam Adani, not the third richest billionaire worldwide anymore. First it was none other than Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Speaker Om Birla, himself just into second term as a MP wasted no time cancelling Rahul’s membership of the Lok Sabha and evicted him from his official bungalow with the same speed. All based on a very questionable case filed by some Gujarati Modi. Can’t remember his first name and it’s not even important. A Gujarat court immediately pronounced Rahul guilty and sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment. Gujarat High Court too wasted not a moment to uphold the lower court verdict. Later the Supreme Court gave him temporary relief, all right. All because he successfully established in Parliament the very questionable connection between Narendrabhai and Gaumtabhai.

Next came Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) outspoken MP Sanjay Singh, currently in jail over a case about which from the Supreme Court to the Lower Court all found no compatibility between the CBI and Enforcement Directorate allegations. Again, because Singh repeatedly raised the issue of state patronage and protection to Gautambhai in cornering all the wealth of the country, means notwithstanding.

Mahua Moitra fought like a tigress against a Modified screaming crowd of BJP MPs in the Lok Sabha and therefore her punishment too had to be worse than the other two. She has been expelled by the Ethics Committee of Parliament chaired by a second-time MP of the ruling party Vinod Kumar Sonkar. Like the Honourable Speaker, Sonkar too sailed to Parliament on Modi wave of 2014 and then its second tide in 2019. Their action and reaction to Parliament and its proceedings is on expected lines. After all, Ek akela Modi 303 pe bhari.

But the positive development emerging from this sad state is to see the entire Oppositi0on rising up as one body behind Mohua. If this development consolidates the unity in the Opposition ranks, then it’s a good augury.

The BJP all but swept in MP, Rajasthan and Chhatisgarh to the 17th Lok Sabha along with a complete sweep in Modi’s native state Gujarat. If the Opposition INDIA bloc fights together, and acts generous and accommodative towards the other members of the alliance, then there is still hope for giving Modi a good fight. Provided, unlike the latest assembly elections when Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president and CM candidate Kamal Nath not just shooed away the Samajwadi Party but humiliated SP president Akhilsesh Yadav. Internal unity in Congress ranks in these three states is no less important.

On the one hand strengthening the bond of unity among Congress leaders in these states is a tall order. On the other, accommodating the prospective allies, is even more daunting for the Congress party. No doubt, Congress alone cannot shoulder all the responsibility on this score. The other parties, specially Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP in Delhi and Punjab, Akhilesh in Uttar Pradesh and Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal also need to work in the same spirit.

Rahul Gandhi is looking at the marginalised communities, the OBCs, the Dalits, the Adivasis and the minorities, specially the Muslims as his prospective constituency. A call for nationwide caste census given by him resonates among this section.

But Kamal Nath is the Elephant in the room. He is clearly opposed to sharing power, even within his party let alone alliance partners. Also, the call for caste census does not resonate with him. And with elections so close it may not be wise to jettison him at this stage.

This is only one instance. There are many such leaders mainly in the Hindi heartland aspiring for expanding their influence beyond their jurisdiction, not in the Congress alone. Will all the constituents of INDIA control their egos and focus single-mindedly on contesting the coming general elections unitedly? It’s a big if and if Modi is playing for high stakes, the future of all the INDIA constituents is even higher, as the expulsion of Mahua Moitra clearly demonstrated and that is why this reaction to her treatment by INDIA bloc gives some hope.