Will Rahul Gandhi be Congress’s poll campaign ace?

AMID expectations that their party president Mallikarjun Kharge could be selected unanimously as the convener of the Opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A, and senior leader Rahul Gandhi could be seen as an ace for the election campaign, and even as a prime ministerial candidate, the Maharashtra Congress's rank and file will celebrate both national leaders on September 1, during the two-day conclave of anti-BJP forces in Mumbai.

Gandhi and Kharge, along with national general secretary KC Venugopal, will visit party's Dadar headquarters Tilak Bhavan, where a grand felicitation has been organised, the party's state President Nana Patole announced. He said Gandhi will be coming to Mumbai after a long time. "He has gone through so many troubles, yet he has inspired us to take the autocratic Modi and BJP head on. We want to celebrate his spirit and leadership," said Patole.

‘To beat BJP is priority ‘

When asked, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said the question about a PM candidate of the Opposition was a matter that he or his colleagues wouldn't be able to answer. According to him, so many questions have been asked about the Mumbai conclave: whether there would be a common minimum programme, seat-sharing formula, formation of 11-member coordination committee... (and of course a convener), but the answers would come only at the end of the meeting.

Congress leader Zeeshan Siddiqui arrives at the Grand Hyatt hotel, Santacruz to see the preparations for I.N.D.I.A's third conference. Pic/Shadab Khan

However, he said the Opposition bloc was clear about fighting the BJP together. "We are trying to give a single candidate against the BJP and its allies. It will avoid division of anti-Modi votes. Remember that in the last election, about 65 per cent voters had voted against the BJP, but their votes were divided between so many parties across the country," he said.

According to Chavan, in Mumbai there will be more opposition parties than those present in the Bengaluru meeting. Patole said the seat-sharing for Maharashtra would be on merit. "Even Uddhav Thackeray has said it. We don't know who will get how many seats. It will be on merit ... Ability to win that particular segment... Our priority is to beat Narendra Modi," he said.

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Pawar, Uddhav meet at venue

Later in the day, Sharad Pawar and Thackeray met the MVA leaders at the venue, a five-star hotel in Kalina. They reviewed arrangements. Pawar's faction had an independent meeting earlier in the day in Mumbai. Thackeray, the chief host for the conclave, who, along with Pawar, will address a pre-event press conference on Wednesday. Congress and NCP leaders have been entrusted with different tasks. From Congress, former CM Ashok Chavan, has been made in charge for the conclave.

Will VBA join?

The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi has stayed away from INDIA so far, even as a small party bloc in Maharashtra - Pragatik Vikas Manch has decided to join it in Mumbai. But people in the Congress said that their national leader Venugopal was in touch with VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar, who had declared a pre-poll aliance with Shiv Sena (UBT).

Ambedkar may have a one-on-one meeting with Gandhi as well. Sources said there was a difference of opinion within the state Congress about extending an invitation to Ambedkar, who had said last week that he was not dependent on others, but others might depend on him.

With a considerable clout in certain pockets, the Ambedkar-led VBA (and before its earlier version Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh), had been a spoiler for the Congress, NCP and other parties that traditionally fought the BJP, because of the vote share it commanded. Many years ago, Ambedkar was part of a coalition with the Congress and elected to the Lok Sabha from Akola.