New Delhi, Sept. 23: The Congress feels that numerical constraints will tie the government’s hands on economic reforms and the party, timed with Rahul Gandhi’s imminent ascendancy in the organisation, should focus on reinventing the “pro-people” political rhetoric.
The Congress has hailed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s burst of decisions, but the party is aware that the decisions will be largely confined to subjects that do not require legislative interventions.
The government will not be able to get controversial bills passed in Parliament as the Trinamul’s exit has made the UPA numerically vulnerable in the Lok Sabha, too.
Although the government is safe as the BSP and the Left do not want early elections, it will have a miserable time in Parliament and pushing tricky bills will invite avoidable risks.
Mulayam Singh Yadav has assured support to the UPA government only because he knows it is not falling. The Congress knows Mulayam will hit hard the day the BSP and the Left change their minds on early election, and hence, it has decided to focus on reforms that can be implemented through the executive route and do not require legislative changes.
Even that will be an improvement, compared with the perception of policy paralysis and indecisiveness that had dogged the government for the past few months.
Many Congress leaders feel that tough economic measures, though required to restore the health of economy and generate the resources for welfare schemes, cannot bolster electoral fortunes.
They recalled how the P.V. Narasimha Rao government, which kickstarted liberalisation, brought electoral misery to the Congress and expressed the hope that the thrust on bread-and-butter issue returned to dominate the discourse sooner than later.
A cabinet minister told The Telegraph: “Rahul Gandhi will soon take over the reins of the party and forcefully reiterate the Congress commitment to the welfare of the weaker sections of the society, farmers and the working class. We are not going to repeat the mistake made by the BJP which sang ‘India Shining’ without devoting attention to the overwhelming poverty in our country. We know how to keep a balance in our approach.”
The minister explained: “The MNREGA (the rural job guarantee scheme) and other pro-poor schemes under Bharat Nirman helped us establish Sonia Gandhi’s credentials as a leader who cares for the masses. Rahulji will soon articulate his priorities for the government. The Food Security bill, the land bill, direct transfer of subsidy to the beneficiary, these are some of the thrust areas. Under the Right to Education Act, we will have to appoint 12 lakh teachers. Rahulji will obviously take up these issues.”
The minister’s comments and the high-decibel campaign by the government’s rivals — such as Mamata Banerjee, the Left and the BJP — over the past week suggest the country is headed to a phase of intense posturing to establish the pro-people credentials of each player.
There is a plan to formally designate Rahul as number two and indicate that he would be the functional head. Although most Congress strategists do not want to disinvest in Sonia, convinced that she still is the most potent political force in the country, a decision has been taken to project Rahul as the future leader. Rahul, after getting promoted in the next few days, is expected to outline his political agenda.
The party is planning hectic political activity, including an AICC session, a brainstorming session and several other conferences, after Rahul’s takeover to build leadership.
Asked what would be the tenor of Rahul’s agenda, one senior leader said: “Unlike Sonia’s case when the party worked out the action plan, Rahul has carved out a clear-cut path for himself. He has been spending time with the poor and farmers, he has been raising their issues and he has gone to tribals and declared himself their voice in Delhi… is there a suspense over his agenda?”
