As most of them are saying, the alliance between the renegade and the failed is nothing but a marriage of compromise which will surely end with a cruel triple talaq, mark my words. Netaji has fought with one ideology and his son has let it enter into his confinement. If I may say, the political oeuvre of Netaji was nothing but based on a different kind of socialism or samajwad which was, to be sure, always against the policies of the Congress. In the meantime, a disruption happens, the family cut loose and Netaji is reduced to such a level that he has to do what Akhilesh wants. A few days ago, I got to know that Netaji will be the star campaigner for a party other than his own. However, yesterday, it was sure that Netaji is going to be on the commands of Akhilesh. And also, Congress is sitting there in between. So, was it the masterstroke of Congress? Can the failed prince or his mastermind do something like this? Well, that is an old question as in front of us – Congress weds SP versus the BJP. (Pretty right, she is on the third.)
We have seen enough of Rahul Gandhi these days. What he could do is giving ‘nothing’ to the party and their resume. As once remarked by someone, he is still learning to speak. Moreover, he is also rumoured to be learning sewing. I still remember his ‘fata kurta’. Rahul’s friendship with Akhilesh and its outcomes will only be judged post-poll. However, we can surely get into the depth of this and try to find out what its potentials are. Rahul knew very well that his face isn’t going to win them votes in the UP elections 2017. Making Shila the scapegoat was a pre-planned strategy. He needed a face who could save the face of Congress and their getting-impotent politics these days. Ironically, surging on the promises of shunning the ‘gundagardi’, all that Rahul could find in UP was a party which is based on gundagardi itself! The party which is notorious for having misogynists like Azam Khan and Abu Azmi (did I miss someone?) has become the ‘bigger’ party and a ‘national party’ has to be the ‘chhote mote dal’. What more could we expect from the failed prince?
About the Akhilesh’s story, the renegade politician, it was a drama to me. Netaji and Akhilesh, both knew that on the basis of their work and development, no one is going to vote for them. They needed this split on a priority to make Akhilesh the hero, and they did it too. However, it’d be interesting to see that Rahul rides the Akhilesh cycle or Akhilesh has to face the ’empty hands’.
(written on 7 February 2017)
