As the Budget Session of Parliament takes a break, it’s a good time to analyse the last fortnight that saw a fiesty face-off between the Opposition and the Treasury Benches. After a long time, there was debate on the floor of the House as opposed to adjournments inside and sloganeering outside. Initially, the opposition didn’t allow Parliament to function over the Hindenburg report on the Adani group, but later some leaders realised that instead of protesting outside, they should raise the matter inside Parliament and try to corner the government on charges of nepotism and crony capitalism. The strategy worked as the Opposition used the debate on the President’s Address to raise the issue.
Fresh from his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi led the opposition’s charge and made a fiery speech, most of which was expunged later, but that made its own political point. However, this did generate debate in TV studios and on social media, so the Congress leader managed to get his message across. And while the Prime Minister himself did not address the issue directly, he did not offer a point by point rebuttal to some of the charges made by Rahul; but he did answer him in his own style. First, the PM focussed on countering allegations made by the opposition by listing all the achievements of his government, with a special focus on the North East and Karnataka, states which are going to the polls very soon, thereby indicating that his prime focus was the next round of elections rather than the Adani issue. In that he could be right on this strategy, because one doesn’t see the voter in rural Karnataka or Tripura voting on allegations of crony capitalism. Rather they want to know what the government—and thereby the BJP—has done for them. However, the PM did take a dig at the opposition—particularly the Congress—by pointing out that despite all their allegations, they are still to make a dent electorally. He still has the trust of 140 crore Indians while the ground below the Congress is slipping.
Now it remains to be seen if the Opposition can keep up the momentum on the Hindenburg report and also whether this will resound with the public. Currently, the middle class, especially those investing in the stock market, are aware and concerned about this. But for this issue to resound with the public at large the opposition would have to make a lot more noise. We are told that Rahul is charged by his yatra and keen to take off for the second leg of Bharat Jodo. Certainly, he is gaining in credibility; analysts are commenting on the difference between the Rahul who raised the Rafael issue versus the one raking up the Hindenburg report—but is that enough? Because the upgraded Rahul is still pitted against the Prime Minister and until the PM’s credibility ratings slip, none of these allegations will stick. That is the biggest challenge before the Opposition.