With the farmers’ rally organised in Jaipur on Wednesday, Congress has initiated the process of not just consolidating its vote bank but has also sounded the bugle for upcoming general elections.
But the rally moves beyond these visible aspects; to become the first celebration by Congress after its electoral victory in three states of Hindi heartland. In the presence of its national president Rahul Gandhi, the farmers’ rally is the first major opportunity for the grand old party to celebrate after Punjab elections.
It is an opportunity to celebrate a new lease of life; especially faced with the BJP onslaught of ‘Congress mukt Bharat’, an opportunity—by virtue of being in government—to celebrate its position of making and fulfilling promises, an opportunity to celebrate the fulfilment of promises that gave them immense poll success and also, an opportunity to have landed the best poll plank for upcoming general elections. Even after loan waiver in three Congress ruled states; the farmers’ issue provides them ample salvo to take on the Union government over the next few months.
The Wednesday farmers’ rally by virtue of being organised as a celebration of loan waivers also provides the perfect platform to launch offensive on the ruling BJP.
As it is organised in a state currently being governed by Congress, the rally has scope for double attack; one on the outgoing BJP government and secondly on the Union government.
Jaipur rally saw Rahul’s attacks getting sharper, not just verbally, but in the form of hard hitting posters cornering BJP and prime minister Narendra Modi on the Rafale deal. The attacks have served to increasingly push BJP into a defensive position; one where it is not able to give a convincing reply.
The Jaipur rally is the first in a series of such rallies that have been planned in states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. They also give Congress the chance to establish credentials that they hope would pave the path for success in the upcoming general elections.
