Tawfeeq Irshad Mir
Politics in India is such a brain choking SAGA that it captivates your mind inadvertently and leaves you in despair, heralding the typical environment of the country. Its gets more pronounced, when political fortunes of Gandhis are at stake, while the bugle for 2019 parliamentary elections is already blown, mobilising the politically active minds in a randomised fashion. Whether Rahul choses it or not, he has to bear the whirls of politics. He is a son of the first political family of the country, his every move, even if he blinks consumes giga bytes of data, summoning the political environment of India. Mr Gandhi has been in politics for the last two decades, having fought the electoral battle in Gandhi family’s strong bastion Amethi for three consecutive terms. In 2014 general Lok Sabha elections, Congress was completely wiped out from the crucial state of uttar pradesh, which sends 80 parliamentarians to the Delhi. Many believe that, road to Delhi goes through Uttar Pradesh. In 2014,Mr Gandhi tested his political career from Amethi, and came out swiftly, winning the seat with thumping majority. It was like a cake walk for Gandhi scion, a Congress turn, a strong hold having traversed by members of Nehru Gandhi family. Some similar results came out in 2009,with almost same figures.
The Gandhis might never have thought, even imagined that their safety walls will be encroached, someone will dare to check us on our family turf. Here comes out the beauty of democracy, people can take you everywhere in electoral politics. The subsequent fall of Congress, post 2012, with scooping incumbency precipitating the quantum of fear. The rise of Modi and Shah, with touchy prevalence on ground, posed tough challenge to ghandis. Miss Smriti Zubin Irani, a former actor and heavy weight of bjp was fielded in Amethi, to take on Gandhi scion, Mr Gandhi. Aam admi party’s Kumar Vishvas also tried to break the cage of Gandhis. In the earlier fights, the margin of votes had been more than 4lakhs, but with Smriti Irani coming in Amethi, morphology and anatomy of politics changed all together. The challenge was so frightening that PRIYANKA GHANDI had to come to rescue Rahul. When the results were out in 2014 general Lok Sabha elections, Rahul managed to retain the seat with a margin of 1lakh votes, while Smiriti taking the second slot. For the first time Congress felt the heat in their home seat, it was close neck to neck fight. In 2019,while the margin of victory was 4 lakh votes, with miss smiriti zubin iranis entry, the quantum was reduced to merely 1 lakh votes.
The Congress was reduced to its lowest tally, with 44 MPs in its lot. While NDA won with thumping majority. Miss Smiriti Zubin Irani was included in the cabinet, she held many portfolios in Modi Govt. Since her induction into the cabinet Miss Irani shifted her focus altogether towards Amethi, taking it as a challenge. She has visited Amethi around 50 times during the past five years. She has close contacts with booth level workers; she has close influence on panchayats. She diverted thousands of crores of funds to Amethi, directed towards development. In 2017, general assembly elections, BJP won 4 out of five seats, under the surveillance of Miss Irani. She laid down optic fibres there and successfully launched dozens of schemes. Sensing the changing environment of Amethi, the Congress has decided to field it’s president in a southern state. He has agreed to contest from Wayanad in Kerala along with Amethi. This strange move by Congress president has drawn repercussions, speculations across the political spectrum. All are ready with blazing guns to attack Gandhi scion. While BJP reacted, saying that Rahul has fled away from Amethi, sensing defeat from Amethi, the people of Amethi have come to know the bluffs of Congress, and they won’t spare Mr Gandhi. The left is attacking Mr Gandhi, saying that he has forgotten to take on Modi, and is changing the narrative of wiping out racist forces like BJP, and is fighting against his own people with parallel ideology.
The Congress believes that, Modi has tried to divide South from North. It is an attempt to unite the whole country. To induce sense of inclusiveness. To mobilise the cadres in South India. Several questions were raised on this philosophy of Congress. Why Mr Gandhi had chosen Wayanad, as BJP has meager presence there. Why not Karnataka, where BJP is an arch rival? It has proclaimed a sense of twist in political circles, Mr modi fought on two Lok Sabha seats in 2014,like wise Mr Gandhi has gone on the same path. Contesting from South and North, such a blend of political charisma, many believe that even Wayanad is not safe for Mr Gandhi, because South is not now, what it has been to Gandhis two decades back. It has changed now. It is no more a political shield for Gandhi’s. Whether Rahul accepts it or not, he has taken a strange step, laden with turbulent hurdles. Whether he is scared or not, but certainly he is frightened. Even Gandhis’ aren’t able to accept this, that someone has tried to breach their safety net, and is already in. The whole environment of this high profile is laden with political pit falls, whether Rahul will come victorious or not, remains to be seen.
( The author is pursuing B.Sc Hons at GMC Srinagar. Views are his own [email protected])
