Farmers Movement Archive

With Kharge’s appointment, Rahul’s control over Cong’s parliamentary wings is complete

Former Union minister Mallikarjun Kharge’s appointment as the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha will deepen Rahul Gandhi’s influence over his party’s parliamentary wings, Congress leaders said.Kharge is known to enjoy Gandhi’s trust. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress Lok Sabha floor leader, is considered as one of Gandhi’s “trusted lieutenants” in the party’s inner circle.A proposal to appoint former Union minister Manish Tewari as the Congress floor leader in the lower House received a lukewarm response from the top leadership and instead Chowdhury was appointed as the leader in 2019. “Rahul Gandhi’s equation with Manish Tewari had soured in the last few years after the latter did not fight the Lok Sabha polls in 2014,” said a Congress leader considered close to Gandhi, requesting anonymity.Also Read | Help raise voice of the weak: Rahul to cadresPersonal equations have played a role, but Kharge and Chowdhury are also seen to be more aggressive, party leaders said.Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings have been disrupted this week over spiralling fuel prices. On Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha failed to transact business due to Congress-led protests in the Upper House over fuel prices and farm laws.Congress leaders said protests and disruptions will be more frequent as Kharge-led party in the House was unlikely to take a softer line and take the BJP head-on in sync with Gandhi’s approach.The Congress has rejected the presiding officer’s suggestion to discuss the oil price issue during the debates on demand for grants and finance bill.In the first part of the ongoing budget session, when Ghulam Nabi Azad led the Congress in Rajya Sabha, the party agreed to join the discussions after a few days of protests even as its Lok Sabha wing continued its protests over the farm laws.Gandhi is believed to have been miffed with the party’s approach in Rajya Sabha and praised the Lok Sabha unit for its continued protests.Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted this division to attack the party and said, in his reply to the President’s debate, that a “confused and divided” Congress cannot be any good to the nation. Later, in an interview with HT, Azad rejected Modi comments. “It was a decision by all Opposition parties to stop protests and join the discussions,” Azad said.A Congress strategist said with Kharge in charge and deputy leader Anand Sharma almost sidelined in the party’s strategy making, such division for the Congress is unlikely to happen anymore. “Kharge and Chowdhury—both Gandhi loyalists—in charge of the party will adopt a more coordinated approach in sync with Congress high command’s directions,” the strategist said on condition of anonymity.

Hindustan Times

10-03-2021

India