Rather than perk up, Rahul dampens T Cong spirits

At a time when political mood is building up in favour of Congressin Telangana, as the BJP has slipped badly and lost all the advantage it had gained after the Dubbaka byelections, Rahul Gandhi’s Mann Ki Baat would certainly come as a booster shot for the ruling BRS, while the state Congress party would feel let down and disappointed.

In the battleground of politics, no political leader, despite knowing that winds are blowing against him, would commit harakiri. But Rahul Gandhi who seems to have developed a habit of making right statements at wrong time on Sunday said that Congress was in control of narrative in Telangana but added that it may “Probably win” the Assembly elections here.

Following the Karnataka results, where the Congress decimated BJP and came to power, the political mood and atmosphere in the Telangana changed drastically. Though it is going to be a triangular contest among BRS, Congress and the BJP, the third player has turned into a weak wicket. The Congress party has been in an aggressive mood and has started consolidating its position in the state. It organised many public meetings which were addressed by all top leaders such as Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul himself very recently, where each one emphasised that they were coming to power. A massive exercise to select the candidates for 119 seats is also on and about 50 per cent of candidate’s names have been finalised. Leaders like Bhatti Vikramarka had successfully taken up padayatras and the buzz among the common people and political circles including the ruling party is that it has emerged as a competitor to BRS in the upcoming assembly polls. Not willing to give up so easily, BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao is working on strategies to poach important Congress leaders and is also said to contemplating to deploy a special team of leaders in all the constituencies where Congress party has strong cadre in districts such as Nalgonda, Adilabad and Khammam.

This change in the political scenario has even made the BJP high command wake up to the need to rally masses behind it and, hence, its decision to organise public meetings to be addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and a host of other national leaders including J P Nadda. They are badly struggling to clear the impression that has gone deep down among the voters that BRS and BJP are two sides of the same coin.

At such a time, Rahul’s assertion that they are in control of the narrative in Telangana but not sure of winning comes as a major shock and setback to the Congress rank and file. The party is about to release the first list of candidates. The worry for the party rank and file is with what face will they go to the voters and ask for votes. They were harping on the five guarantees given by Sonia Gandhi at the Tukkuguda public meeting. But now they will have to beg for one chance.

Thoughtless shooting off mouth is always dangerous. It may be easy to make snide remarks against BJP and Modi and give an impression of an intellectual with salt and pepper beard, but it is difficult to speak about issues with conviction. This is what Rahul needs to learn. His statement on the party position in Telangana is like commander laying down arms in the battlefield. It’s time, he exhibits greater maturity and weighs his words more carefully. ‘Janab, Jara peeche mudh ke dekh. Socho, Samjho aur fir baat Karo.’ This applies to all the members of I.N.D.I.A bloc also.