How far he would succeed in achieving his mission is not clear as yet as he has not confronted the basic issues that forced the Congress to go in hibernation. There is no denying the fact that road of Congress revival passes through Uttar Pradesh. If it manages to put a good show in the state, then Rahul can think of motivating the cadres across the country and rejuvenate the party.

Ensemble of the opposition leaders at Jantar Mantar or Vijay Chowk is not going to make significant difference. While it will send a strong message to the party cadres at the grass root level to take the rival BJP head on, it would not bring about a change in the caste and class equation in the state.

Rahul must not nurse the notion that his efforts would make a dent into the middle class support base of Modi and win over this section. Their political and religious orientation is so intense that it would take some major development to take them out of that stupor. The Congress would eventually has to rely on the backward castes and dalits besides the lower middle class who are on the edge of poverty in the last seventeen months of pandemic.

The political scenario for the opposition is still not bright in Uttar Pradesh.. Samajwadi chief Akhilesh would have to be content with Yadavs and utmost can rely on some small dalit castes. Twelve percent Brahmins are not going to join him as they have antagonistic relation with the Yadavs. They would also not support Yogi led BJP. Basically the situation in UP is quite confusing. Ever since she was nominated as the general secretary in charge of UP, Priyanka Gandhi has been trying to put her best in the state, but the recent results of the panchayat elections fail to provide a picture of better future of the party. The Congress is yet to revive its support base and rope in new forces.

With barely seven months left for the assembly election, Rahul would have focused more on UP. Outsourcing will not do. Mamata Banerjee could emerge as a serious challenger to Modi simply for the reason she could slap a severe blow to him at the hustings. Bengal mandate sent the message that Modi was not invincible.

If Rahul really intends to have a decisive say in the national politics, he must send the plausible message that Hindutva is merely a facade, has no ideological and religious relevance and the BJP is a fascist outfit. Many of whom Rahul would have to smash the perception as RSS and BJP claim that UP is the laboratory of the Hindutva.

Political strategist Prashant Kishor, cherishing the handsome victory of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal – or rather, the waterloo of the BJP, would certainly be of much help. But he cannot work in isolation. Rahul and Priyanka would have to work in close relation with Prashant as Mamata did in Bengal. In fact the primary task for Rahul has been to win the trust of the Congress leaders. Though he has been leading the opposition leaders, the sad aspect has been he has not bothered to normalise his relation with his own party men. It is clear he has no ideological line, but wants to have a political role. Rahul must use his technical expertise to ensure the defeat of Modi and BJP.

What is shocking is that an impression is being created in the political circle of the country that Rahul is trying to edge out Mamata. It is only after she started meeting the opposition leaders, interacting with the Congress veterans and initiated the move to unite the opposition that Rahul became proactive. It is for both Rahul and Mamata to make sure that they are not projected as rivals and they evolve a common technique and strategy to fight Modi. Rahul must ensure that Mamata’s charisma is used to the advantage of brining the opposition on a common platform and evolve a common minimum programme.

The people of the country have been sceptical of unity moves without any common proramme. In fact they have come to lose trust is such efforts and view simply as a move to fool the voters for getting their votes. Nevertheless this time a clear message ought to be sent that this is simply not an electoral understanding. It is aimed at protecting the democracy and Constitution of the country which is being destroyed by RSS-BJP combine with Modi acting as the public face. .The opposition front has to convey the message to the poor and vulnerable most hit by pandemic that they are with them The poor trust Mamata for her work in Bengal. Rahul also has to gain that confidence.

If the opposition fails to shatter the dirty design of the saffron brigade India will lose its identity and basic character for long. India would become an intolerant autocratic Hindu Rashtra. A joint move of Rahul and Mamata would also blunt the accusation of Congress being the symbol of Dynasty. Rahul must focus on rejuvenating the Congress. Once he succeeds all the problems will disappear and the party will regain its glory. One thing is quite clear that no leader other than anyone from Gandhi family would be able to keep the Congress united and lead it. It has been seen how in the past Arjun Sing, N D Tiwari and even Pranab Mukherjee floated their Congress parties. But all proved to be non starter.

Rahul must put his head together with other experts to evolve a strategy as to how to gain back its original regional support base. Why the party has no dominance of the regional chiefs? Why they have lost their relevance in the decision making process? It cannot be denied that regional outfits have come to represent the regional aspirations, the Congress is simply of no use to voters in many states.

Rahul should rely more on the regional faces like Sharad Pawar and Mamata Banerjee. An insight into the character of the party would make it explicit that the Congress was an umbrella party, not representing any one group but the whole country. It was even home to some of the Marxist stalwarts. In sharp contrast the BJP cannot claim to represent all the sections of the society. What is worse the BJP under Modi and Amit Shah has become the party of Gujaratis. Everyone and any one from Gujarat is given precedence on others.

The Congress leadership cannot deny that the regional parties and forces like Trinamool Congress, NCP, SP and others have kept alive the aspirations and hopes of the liberal and secular forces notwithstanding facing the worst nature of communal discrimination by the BJP and its leader Narendra Modi. He has been depriving them of all the benefits due to them under Constitutional provisions.

Congress leadership has to behave in a more pragmatic manner. It might be having national presence and vote but it has to reinvent itself in the changed situation. Rahul must learn to adjust to new realities. Let the regional satraps deliver as had happened in Rajasthan, Punjab and Chhattisgarh. And the non-Congress regional parties do their best in meeting BJP challenge in their strongholds. That combination will be formidable against BJP and that will o only in favour of Rahul as a national leader. (IPA Service)