Congress: Party future lies in opposition unity

RAIPUR: Even as it cast itself as the sole political party that can take on BJP and provide “capable and decisive leadership”, Congress its future lies in the “unity of secular and socialist forces”, and made it plain that a “Third Front” will only end up helping the saffron alliance.
In the wake of renewed chatter about resurrecting the anti-BJP axis for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress lent the weight of its apex policy summit, the plenary session, to announce that the party should go all out to identify, mobilise and align like-minded secular forces. “We should include secular regional forces who agree with our ideology,” it said here.
Impressing upon the import of an anti-BJP alliance, Congress said, “There is an urgent need for a united opposition to take on NDA on common ideological grounds. Emergence of any third force will provide advantage to BJP/NDA.”

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, setting the tone for the announcement in his speech, said Congress is the only party which can confront BJP and also provide "able and capable leadership" like during 2004-14.
"We once again look forward to forging a viable alternative by aligning with like-minded parties to defeat the anti-people and undemocratic BJP government … (will make) whatever sacrifices that are required for our goal for the upcoming state assembly elections and the 2024 elections," he said.
While the call was whole-hearted and unambiguous, the scepticism inherent in the formulation was also evident. The bit about "identifying like-minded secular forces" suggests that it remains to be determined for Congress who is a potential ideological ally. It could be seen as aimed at parties like TMC and BRS that Congress has repeatedly targeted as working to help BJP. At the same time, since these parties are seen to be trying to cobble an independent platform sans Congress, the argument that Third Front will help BJP, reinforces the Congress charge.

The upfront declaration - secular alliance is Congress’ future -- formed part of the political resolution of the 85 plenary, thereby clarifying the doubts in the Opposition as well as party ranks about the leadership’s views on opposition unity – doubts first put in public domain by JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar who last week suggested lack of urgency or plain reluctance in Congress about the opposition project.
The positive declaration accompanied by assertion about its leadership shows that Congress would want satraps like Nitish Kumar to settle the unity around this formula.