Undeterred by the refusal of the High Court to give him any relief, the Congress leader is continuing with his political mission with more passion as was seen on Saturday in his impromptu visit to Haryana’s Sonepat district near Delhi and his interactions with the farmers farmers.
Irrespective of hurdles that have been put on his way by the ruling BJP, Rahul Gandhi’s political USP is rising every day.
The Congress is going to approach the Supreme Court to get the two years’ sentence of Gujarat high court in the criminal defamation case quashed which if upheld by the apex court would disqualify him from contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In that eventuality, Rahul Gandhi would be leading the party’s campaign from the front and might prove to be far more lethal as sympathy factor would make him much taller leader with an electoral appeal. A further plus would be that he would be free to campaign without being tied in his own constituency.
His disqualification would also help the cause of opposition unity as he would automatically not be a prime ministerial candidate but his moral stature would shoot up. There would be fierce competition among opposition parties to win as many as Lok Sabha seats as possible which alone would establish their claim to the prime ministerial chair.
With Sharad Pawar out of race after revolt in his party and Nitish Kumar repeatedly saying that he is not in the PM race, Mallikarjun Kharge is the tallest leader in the oppoition dispension on turning 81 after 13 days on July 21 to be tipped to become the prime minister if the Modi-led BJP is defeated.
The Congress today is far better placed to challenge the BJP after its emphatic victories in the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka while resolution of the party state units internal conflicts on issue of leadership in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have further raised the moral of party workers.
Bharat Jodo Yatra of Rahul Gandhi that started last year and ended in January this year has helped in restoring the image of the party in popular mind. Next leg of Rahul Gandhi led Bharat Jodo Yatra that is expected to start around October would further boost the party’s electoral chances in the Lok Sabha polls.
Saturday’s visit or his earlier interactions with a truck driver or motorcycle mechanic earlier offer evidence of his steely determination to march on to take Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
While Rahul Gandhi spent time with farmers working in the fields and also took part in paddy sowing, he could emerge a powerful campaigner in the electoral battle because he has the commitment to challenge the BJP.
Gandhi reached Sonepat district’s Madina village early on Saturday, braving the heavy downpour.
“It was an impromptu visit … He interacted with the villagers and the farmers working in the fields. Rahulji also took part in paddy sowing and drove a tractor,” Jagbeer Singh Malik, the Congress’ MLA from Gohana in Sonipat,
Malik, who was present at the spot, said Gandhi was probably on his way to Himachal Pradesh from Delhi.
In pictures tweeted from the Congress’ official handle, Gandhi was seen in his familiar white t-shirt and trousers. He was also stepping onto the fields with the villagers.
On Friday, Gujarat High Court dismissed Gandhi’s plea seeking a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark.
Gandhi on May 23 travelled in a truck from Delhi to Chandigarh to listen to the problems faced by truck drivers.
He undertook the journey during the night and in visuals and videos, the former Congress chief, donning his trademark white t-shirt, was seen sitting inside a truck, travelling with a driver and speaking to drivers at a dhaba.
Rise in Rahul Gandhi’s political and moral stature despite the BJP’s strenuous efforts to pin him down first by his projection as ‘Pappu’ and then with series of criminal cases filed by activists of the saffron party is surely a cause of concern for the ruling party.
The fact that the ruling BJP is nervous with the development is proven by its recent move to split the Nationalist Congress Party in Maharashtra. The BJP is similarly trying to split the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar led JD (U) to divide the opposition.
The BJP may succeed in splitting parties but the big question is how people see such moves.
Finally, people are going to decide who is the winner?
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