How BJP plans to attack Kharge’s Congress, now that ‘dynasts’ aren’t the face of the party

Focus still on Gandhis, BJP leaders say they'll deploy the 'remote-controlled' narrative used during Manmohan Singh's tenure as PM, but will be 'careful' due to Kharge's Dalit identity.

File photo of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge | PTI

New Delhi: With a non-Gandhi now at the helm of the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are re-assessing their line of attack against the opposition party.

With Rahul Gandhi running the party — as de facto or de jure chief — the ruling party could run him down as a privileged dynast far removed from the day-to-day problems of the common people, and lampoon him as a “Pappu” with no leadership qualities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders would taunt the “family” that ran the Congress, seeking to draw a contrast with how ordinary workers could reach the top position in the BJP.      

Now that Mallikarjun Kharge is the Congress president, multiple BJP leaders ThePrint spoke to said that while they were re-calibrating their strategy, one thing was clear — that they would keep targeting the Gandhis. 

Kharge was elected Congress president Wednesday. He beat Shashi Tharoor’s 1,072 votes with a thumping 7,897, as party leader Pramod Tiwari announced the results in Delhi. The senior Karnataka politician is only the third Dalit to lead the 137-year-old party.

BJP national spokesperson R.P. Singh said, “Nothing is going to change for the Congress. We will now have a dynast and a subject. Whatever the Gandhis tell Kharge to do, he will simply oblige. Also, not to forget what happened during the tenure of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, when files used to be sent to 10 Janpath (Sonia Gandhi’s residence in Delhi) for clearance. So in reality, nothing is going to change. He will be nothing but a remote-controlled president.” 

‘Remote-controlled’ narrative

The BJP is going to focus largely on the “remote-controlled”’ narrative by drawing parallels with the tenure of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

Amit Malviya, in-charge of the BJP’s national Information & Technology Department and co-in-charge of West Bengal, said, “Even today, Rahul Gandhi is a mere Member of Parliament, but the way the entire party has thrown its weight behind him and his Bharat Jodo Yatra should tell you that he will continue to enjoy primacy in the party.”

“At the same time, by appointing an octogenarian, Kharge — who is not exactly the most inspiring choice for a Congress that needs fresh blood and new thinking — it is more of a status quoist arrangement that serves the Gandhis alone. He is one of their own. The entire process started with Ashok Gehlot, drifted to Digvijaya Singh and finally, settled for Kharge,” he added.

“The entire election is a farce as the Gandhis will have their chosen nominee elected, and this is something even Shashi Tharoor has also maintained. He has complained about not being given an even-playing field. In fact, he pointed out how the Pradesh Congress Committee presidents did not cooperate with him but were deferential towards Kharge,” he further said.

“Also, let’s not forget how, during Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM, all calls were taken by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. If the Gandhis could violate the office of Manmohan Singh — who was sworn to secrecy of the highest political office of the land — Kharge will be a mere Congress president,” Malviya said.

Focus on Gandhis, careful of Kharge’s Dalit identity 

A section in the BJP, however, argued that while their entire focus, especially during elections, will remain on ‘targeting’ the Gandhis, especially Rahul Gandhi — which resonates with the public too, they claimed — they may have to recalibrate their strategy a little, considering Kharge’s Dalit identity. 

“In choosing Kharge, the Congress has put up a Dalit face. And given the BJP’s — especially the PM’s — outreach towards the SC/ ST community, ridiculing him or calling him ‘remote-controlled’ has the scope to backfire at times. So party leaders and spokespersons, especially on news debates, will have to choose their words carefully,” said a senior BJP leader.

While the focus will remain on the Gandhis through the “remote-controlled” president, some new strategies will have to be developed to ensure the public is able to “understand” this much more clearly, said another leader. 

BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan said, “I think the face of the Congress party remains someone from the Gandhi family. It’s more or less clear, and even in the past we have seen how a non-Gandhi president of the Congress party has been treated.”

“We still remember how the well-known leader — a very respected leader from the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) from Bihar — Mr Sitaram Kesri was insulted in front of the entire leadership of the Congress party. How it was an insult not only to Sitaram Kesri but to the entire EBC population across the country. This shows the feudal and elitist mindset of the Congress party.”.   

“We don’t see any fundamental shift in the Congress party as the pivot or decision-making will remain with the first family. So we are going to attack the Congress on the sort of issues that concern the people of India, and the problems within the party as well,” Paswan added.

(Edited by Anumeha Saxena)