Finally, what was already considered predetermined happened. Opposition within the party arose over Rahul Gandhi’s caste census issue. Senior party leader Anand Sharma made it clear in his letter to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge that the Congress has never supported caste politics. “All former Prime Ministers of the Congress have also distanced themselves from caste politics. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi never mentioned caste or creed and openly opposed Rahul Gandhi’s caste politics,” he wrote.
Anand Sharma expressed this opposition when the nomination process for the Lok Sabha elections began. He chose a day when the party was attacking the Modi government at the centre of the economic crisis. Sharma is among those leaders in the party who have raised questions about Rahul’s performance. Secondly, Anand Sharma hails from Himachal Pradesh, where the state government is facing a crisis after losing in the Rajya Sabha. Sharma was also a contender for the Rajya Sabha seat. Since the defeat in the Rajya Sabha, Sharma’s Congress politics have also been surrounded by questions. There have been discussions about him joining the BJP for a long time. Today, the way Sharma has written and released the letter, it is certain that the party’s concerns have increased. There is no doubt in this that the Congress has never openly advocated caste politics.
There is no doubt that the Congress has never openly advocated caste politics. Neither Indira Gandhi nor Rajiv Gandhi made the Mandal Commission report public. VP Singh, who became Prime Minister by opposing the Congress, implemented the Mandal Commission’s report, which further fueled the fire of violence in the country. As a result, he lost his chair.
However, after the formation of the I.N.D.I.A bloc, Rahul Gandhi made the issue of caste census a big issue. According to experts, on the advice of RJD leader Lalu Yadav, Rahul started raising the issue of caste census. Party President Mallikarjun Kharge also followed the same path.
While a big section of the party is against him. Last year, during the elections in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, Rahul prioritized the caste census, which did not benefit the party. Rahul made the caste census a major weapon during his justice journey. However, amidst the elections, Anand Sharma raised questions on the caste census, putting the party in trouble. It remains to be seen whether the party takes any action against Sharma or overlooks the matter.