Anita Katyal | Will Cong gesture on Tharoor work? Yogi’s ‘best’ friend is now a BSP MLA

Often criticised for taking umbrage to dissenting voices in the party, the Congress appears to have made a conscious effort at last week’s AICC session to show that it encourages a free and frank discussion. It was perhaps for this reason that Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor, often in the doghouse for one reason or the other, was fielded to second the political resolution. The fact that Mr Tharoor has been making unhappy noises lately, triggering rumours that he is exploring other options, was perhaps another factor. With Kerala Assembly elections due next year, the Congress cannot afford to lose its four-time MP who has a large fan following among the young. Known to hold independent views, Mr Tharoor did not disappoint at the session. Though he was all praise for the issues covered in the resolution, he did not shy away from suggesting that the party needs course correction. His statement that the Congress should shun negativity and resentment and instead offer hope to the people was a clear message to the leadership that its strident campaign against the Narendra Modi government was not working. Then again, he virtually ticked off the Congress for dwelling on the past, pointing out that young voters, whom the party should be wooing, are more interested in the future. This is not the first time that Mr Tharoor has spoken about adopting a more positive approach. In fact, he has occasionally praised the Modi government much to the chagrin of the Congress leadership. Mr Tharoor’s truisms must have been unpalatable to the Congress top brass but by yielding the floor to the Kerala MP, the party could rightly claim that it is not afraid of party leaders airing their views freely.

There’s more on the subject of Kerala. The Congress finds itself in a fix in the southern state, having alienated both the Christian and Muslim communities over the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill. Congress ally, the Indian Union Muslim League, is upset that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi did not participate in the debate on the Bill while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was absent from the Lok Sabha during the discussion. Though the Congress voted against the bill and its members are challenging it in the court, its ally in Kerala is not convinced about its sincerity. On the other hand, the Christians are unhappy with the Congress for opposing the bill. The Muslim and Christian residents of Munambam village in Ernakulam district have been engaged in a longstanding land dispute which hit the headlines in the run-up to the passage of the controversial bill. Seeking to make inroads in Kerala, the BJP is wooing the Christian community by rekindling fears that they will be evicted from their homes and their land taken over by the Waqf Board. The BJP has been quick to name the Congress as the villain which, they charge, cares only for Muslims with little concern for the Christian community. Several Christian families joined the BJP after the passage of the Waqf bill.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has been keeping a low profile ever since she was overlooked for the top post and replaced by Bhajan Lal Sharma after the last Assembly election. But she created a storm last week with a series of posts on X in which she hit out at the local official machinery in her constituency Jhalawar for not delivering on the government’s Jal Jeevan Mission. Not only have her posts provided ready ammunition to the opposition to mount a campaign against Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, these have also met with all-round approval from the growing number of Mr Sharma’s detractors in the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Though Ms Raje’s ire was directed against local officials, it was obvious to her party colleagues that the chief minister was her real target. In fact, BJP legislators, who are unhappy with Mr Sharma, have been busy forwarding Ms Raje’s tweets on WhatsApp, only too glad that someone in the party has spoken up.

Guess who has been the most sought-after legislator in Uttar Pradesh? Surprisingly, he does not belong to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party or its allies. It is the Bahujan Samaj Party’s lone MLA Umashankar Singh, currently battling a serious illness. According to reports from Lucknow, Mr Singh is known to enjoy a cordial relationship with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Their bonding stems from the fact that they are both from the same caste. It is no secret that Yogi Adityanath has a soft corner for those belonging to the Thakur community. Since Umashankar Singh has easy access to the chief minister, he has been constantly besieged by his colleagues in the Assembly and members of the general public who wanted an audience with the chief minister or had a pending file in one of the numerous ministries which Yogi Adityanath heads. The BSP legislator’s popularity has predictably upset BJP MLAs and party workers who are feeling sidelined even though they belong to the ruling party. It is not known if BSP chief Mayawati approved of her party MLA’s friendship with Yogi Adityanath. But she did call on him last week to enquire about Mr Singh’s health.