How strong are prospects of Opposition unity?

In a rare instance where the Opposition parties are united in a nationwide protest against the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's parliamentary membership, the enthusiasm and interest to fight unitedly against the BJP are rising from all corners. Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee, who had announced a few days ago that she would compete alone against theBJP and the Congress by keeping both at arm's length, condemned the action against Rahul and called it a denial of democracy at the hands of the ruling party at the Centre. The fact that Trinamool MPs joined the protest in Parliament along with the Congress is being seen as a new turn. Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav also did not turn away from the protest. Recently, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also broke his silence and condemned the anti-Rahul move. And then Telangana Chief Minister and BRS chief Chandrasekhara Rao was among the protesters. The DMK, NCP, Shiv Sena's Bal Thackeray faction, and the Muslim League are already on the same page with Congress. They have declared solidarity with Rahul. Thus, with the permanent or temporary support of 17 opposition parties to Rahul Gandhi, whose membership in the Lok Sabha was revoked, a situation has suddenly arisen where the Hindutva forces have to worry that the repercussions of its attack on Congress did not turn out as expected.

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While the Congress has started moves to extend cooperation to the opposition parties that have declared solidarity inside and outside the parliament, Rahul Gandhi has also made it clear that he is ready to make any compromise for the unity of the opposition. He had already announced that Congress would not lay claim to the post of Prime Minister. This has removed a major hurdle for various regional party leaders who are dreaming of the prime ministership to forge an alliance or reach an agreement with the Congress. The ensuing developments lead to the speculation that the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah team has been greatly intimidated by the support earned by Rahul Gandhi's epic Bharat Jodo Yatra. Part of the consternation in the BJP camp also emerges from the fact that some opinion poll reports do not confirm the BJP's chances of victory in the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections. The party is also annoyed by the fact that some major BJP leaders are joining the Congress camp day after day. Opposition protests over the murky financial deals carried out by the Modi-Adani alliance, which have been paralysing Parliament, have tarnished the Prime Minister's image. Taking advantage of all this, if the opposition is ready to face the elections unitedly, the hope of an end to the perilous time that has enveloped India's democracy may encourage some people.

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But the hurdles are not trivial. The CPM, which has openly denounced the retaliatory measures against Rahul, is not ready to stand with the Congress at the national level, even as it does not retract from that position. Party General Secretary Sitaram Yechury has already clarified that is broad opposition at the national level is not feasible, but understanding and arrangements will be formed at the state level - which is natural for the Left party. The Left is in power only in Kerala now where the Congress-led UDF is LDF's main rival. Both fronts do not see BJP as a threat or main enemy in the state. In the last Lok Sabha elections, Congress won 19 out of 20 seats. The CPM cannot regain those seats without launching a strong campaign against the Congress front. For its part, the Congress considers it a losing bargain to adopt a soft approach to its main rival and the ruling party in the state.

Also read: Disqualification: a bane or boon for Rahul Gandhi and Congress?

Elsewhere, the Congress-LDF alliance in West Bengal is against Trinamool, a secular party itself. That is why Mamata Banerjee announced that she cannot join hands with Congress. Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh is mainly supported by the backward communities of Yadavs and Muslims. Vote bank politics is also an obstacle for Congress, which expects more support from upper castes. To write them off and strengthen ties with the backward classes is a challenge for the party. BJP strategists always succeed in splitting the opposition vote by exacerbating these issues and divisions to antagonise communities against one other. But the opposition parties are unlikely not to have understood this. Of course, knowing everything, some people have the desire to make maximum compromises to fight and defeat the great calamity facing the entire country. It is reasonable to assume that Rahul Gandhi is among them. There is a chance of getting out of this vicious circle if every Opposition party follows the formula of finding a capable and secular candidate for every constituency. And every regional party will have to accept this. There is no point in forgetting that 2024 will be the election that will unleash the immense resources of the Adani Group.