Often ridiculed, Rahul Gandhi emerges as strategic mastermind in LS polls

NEW DELHI: The INDIA bloc will meet on Wednesday to decide whether to approach former partners such as the JD (U) and the TDP to attempt government formation at the Centre, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said here.

“We are going to have a meeting with our partners. These questions will be raised and answered there,” Gandhi told a press conference at the party headquarters. He was replying to a question if the Congress and its allies will approach parties that are part of the NDA to try and form a government. Rahul Gandhi was addressing the press conference with senior Congress leaders as the Lok Sabha poll results and trends showed the BJP was set to become the single-largest party but would fall short of the magic figure of 272.

The Congress leader said the general election was a fight to save the Constitution.

“It was on my mind that the people of this country would rally together to save the Constitution. The first and biggest step towards saving the Constitution has been taken,” he said, adding that it was the poor and the marginalised who stood up. He said that the Congress and the INDIA bloc have given India a new vision, a pro-poor vision.

“The main thing this election has said, the country has said, is that we don’t want Narendra Modi, Amit Shah to be running this country,” he said. He said all Congress leaders respected INDIA bloc allies and wherever the alliance fought “we fought as one”.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said at the press conference that the public had given a “mandate against PM Modi’’.

“We humbly accept the verdict. People did not give a mandate to any political party. This mandate is against Modi. This is a loss for PM Modi. It is also a defeat for those who sought votes in the name of Modi,’’ he said.

Gandhi offered special thanks to the electorate of Uttar Pradesh for supporting the Congress and “protecting” the Constitution. When asked if he would keep the Wayanad or Rae Bareli seat, Gandhi said he has not taken a decision yet.

On Congress candidate K L Sharma wresting the Amethi seat from the BJP’s Smriti Irani, Gandhi said the party loyalist had been working in the constituency for the past 40 years and his victory was certain.

As votes were counted for the Lok Sabha election on Tuesday, the former Congress president derided by so many through the campaign was one of the drivers of his party leading or winning close to 100 seats, almost double the 52 from 2019.

His latest gambit of relying on social justice as the running theme of his campaign seems to have paid off with his party making a surprising comeback in the Hindi belt, making significant gains in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Congress leaders credit Rahul Gandhi for a campaign focussing on people’s issues and welfare measures, one of the reasons for the party’s stunning fightback against the high-on-confidence BJP.

Often ridiculed as a ‘Shehzada’ and viewed as a serial reinventor, Rahul Gandhi may have had the last laugh in the latest Lok Sabha elections. His transformative padyatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and hybrid march from Manipur to Mumbai set the narrative for the Congress, establishing him as the moral compass of the party and the INDIA bloc.

As votes were counted on Tuesday, the former Congress president, frequently mocked throughout the campaign, emerged as a driving force, with his party leading or winning nearly 100 seats—almost double their 2019 tally of 52.

Gandhi was a constant presence in the campaign, from riding tempos and comforting supporters to challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi in press conferences and on social media. His strategic focus on social justice and welfare measures resonated with voters, particularly in the Hindi belt, where Congress made significant gains in Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

Congress leaders credit Gandhi’s campaign for its focus on people’s issues. General Secretary Jairam Ramesh highlighted Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra as pivotal, with its theme of spreading love in a marketplace of hate, setting the stage for the 2024 campaign.

Gandhi’s 2024 campaign, arguably his best, effectively addressed bread-and-butter issues and welfare guarantees, appealing to a broad voter base.

His memorable slogan, “Khata khat khata khat paise ayenge account mein,” promising financial support to women in poor households, gained traction on social media.

Despite his occasional temper, Gandhi maintained composure throughout the 44-day campaign, forcefully but calmly criticising Modi and the media. His reliance on social media over conventional interactions marked a key feature of his strategy, emphasising the BJP’s alleged threat to the Constitution.

Gandhi contested from Kerala’s Wayanad and Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli, winning the southern seat by 364,000 votes and leading in the northern one by 390,000 votes. His choice of which seat to retain remains to be seen.

His political journey began in 2004 from Amethi, but the past decade was challenging, highlighted by his 2019 defeat to Smriti Irani in Amethi. Despite setbacks, Gandhi consistently attacked Modi, including on the Rafale and Adani issues.

Taking over as Congress vice president in 2013 and later president in 2017, Gandhi stepped down in 2019 after a poor election performance. However, his recent cross-country initiatives, described as empathetic and humane, may have galvanised the Congress base and energised supporters.