INDIA Bloc will find the going tough in Bihar

Thesteady deterioration of India’s political ecosystem is a matter of deep concern. Even as we approach the centenary of Independence, the nation continues to grapple with a glaring weakness — the absence of a credible opposition. In a healthy democracy, the opposition should shake the ruling benches, compel the government to face tough questions, and keep it awake at night defending its actions. Yet, this vital check is missing, leaving a gaping wound in the country’s democratic fabric.

Instead, the opposition bloc, led by Rahul Gandhi, has been reduced to a sideshow — directionless, and incapable of building a credible narrative. A democracy thrives only when its opposition is strong. Sadly, under Rahul Gandhi’s stewardship, India’s opposition has become a caricature of itself. Instead of rattling the government, it entertains the ruling party with amateur theatrics. Most of the time it appears unserious and out of touch.

This vacuum leaves the media and analysts with little option but to critique the opposition’s ineptitude. My Gurus taught me to write for a cause, not applause — to call a spade a spade even if critics misread it as pro or anti-government. The truth is that had the opposition come armed with facts, data, and conviction, it could have placed the NDA government under serious scrutiny. Instead, what we witness is empty sloganeering and disjointed campaigns.

Take Bihar, where elections are round the corner. The “vote chori” campaign launched by Rahul Gandhi was supposed to galvanise voters. It fizzled out. People don’t need lectures about their voting rights; they need hope, vision, and solutions. Realising this, Rahul and his team began speaking less about ‘vote chori’ and more about unemployment. But here too, the hollowness shows.

At one meeting, Tejaswi Yadav pressed Rahul to focus on joblessness. Rahul’s response was perfunctory: “Ha aur ek baat, berojgari Bihar mein aur Bharat bahut jyada hai.” No facts, no depth, no plan — just rhetoric.

Worse, the data itself exposes the dishonesty. According to the 2023–24 Periodic Labour Force Survey, Bihar’s unemployment rate is 3.3 per cent, ranking it 28th in the country. States ruled by INDIA fare far worse — Kerala 5.4 per cent, Punjab 5.5 per cent and Telangana five per cent. Even NDA-ruled states like Rajasthan (4.8 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (about four per cent) are higher. Why does Rahul remain silent on these? Why the selective outrage? Opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi is their right, but voters expect fact-based arguments, not theatre.

By contrast, the ruling NDA in Bihar is focused on law and order, caste census, unemployment, and issues like “Operation Sindoor.” Even the vote chori slogan, though lingering at 20 per cent resonance, is losing steam. Here, the Election Commission deserves criticism for failing to decisively quash the allegations. A mere warning to Rahul Gandhi, without legal follow-up, leaves the controversy hanging.

Rather than go for course-correcting, Rahul and his bloc keep repeating counter-productive slogans like “Narendra surrender.” Far from hurting the BJP, such name-calling damages the opposition’s credibility. The campaign hit a new low on August 28 in Darbhanga, where Bihar Congress leaders crossed every limit of decency — abusing Modi and even his 100-year-old mother. And what did the Congress do? Instead of condemning the insult, it shamelessly claimed that BJP was raising “irrelevant issues.” Worse, it peddled a laughable excuse that BJP workers had infiltrated the crowd. The fact is undeniable — the abuses came from Congress activist Rizwi Raja, already arrested by police.

This exposes Rahul Gandhi’s double standards. He forced Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar to apologise just for praising the RSS anthem, a song about the motherland. He sacked Karnataka minister K N Rajanna overnight for disagreeing with him on the vote theft issue. But when his own party leaders hurl the filthiest abuses at the Prime Minister and his family, Rahul looks the other way. So much for his Mohabbat ki Dukan. Equally flawed is their attempt to invoke “Bihar pride.” Voters remember how leaders from Tamil Nadu mocked Biharis as toilet cleaners and construction workers.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy even claimed that the State’s DNA was superior to Bihar’s. Yet these same leaders are paraded in opposition rallies to seek Bihari votes. The hypocrisy is glaring, and voters can see through it. Meanwhile, new players like Jan Suraj Party (JSP) are making inroads, especially at the expense of Left parties and the RJD and are likely to win about 15 seats. The NDA has clarity — BJP and JD(U) will contest around 100 seats each, Nitish Kumar will remain the CM face, and Chirag Paswan’s demands will be balanced. By contrast, the opposition still cannot finalise its seat-sharing, let alone project a chief ministerial candidate. Without a strong CM face, they are already on the back foot. RJD may salvage some ground, but Congress risks shrinking further.

Rahul Gandhi’s so-called think tank does no homework. His allies are divided, disjointed, and often working at cross purposes. Instead of crafting a sharp national narrative, the bloc swings wildly from one issue to another — always reactive, never proactive.

They chant slogans instead of offering solutions. They play dangerous games with faith under the banner of secularism, forgetting that Indians are more discerning today.

The Congress seems addicted to committing one blunder after another — even in states it governs. The latest fiasco comes from Karnataka over the Mysuru Dasara festival. Playing with religious sentiments in the name of “secularism” is suicidal. Instead of respecting traditions, the government invited International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the world-renowned Hindu festival.

Mushtaq had earlier dismissed the worship of Kannada as Goddess Bhuvaneshwari as “exclusionary.” Under public pressure, she issued a clarification professing respect for traditions, but the damage was done. Matters worsened when Shivakumar declared, “Hindus have no right on Chamundi; it’s a state festival, not a Hindu festival.” This is not secularism — it’s reckless provocation. She “may certainly” inaugurate the cultural or literary events but should “refrain from” the religious inauguration.

In 2017, writer KS Nisar Ahmed had inaugurated the festivities by showering flower petals on the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari. Incidentally, Siddaramaiah was Chief Minister at the time.

Pramoda Devi Wadiyar of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family termed Shivakumar’s statement “insensitive.” Her son and MP Yaduveer Wadiyar asserted that Chamundi Hill belongs to Hindus, and the Goddess is their deity. The outrage is understandable. Can Congress dare say Ramzan is not a Muslim festival and have it inaugurated by Hindu priest? Why then this selective “secularism” only at Hindu festivals?

The right-wing parties, including AIMIM and other minority organisations, must answer if they would welcome non-Muslim inaugurations of Islamic festivals. If Muslim bodies see no problem with Mushtaq inaugurating Dasara, why should they oppose Hindus in Waqf boards? Hypocrisy of this kind only fuels resentment and alienates both majority and minority communities.

If Karnataka wants to brand Dasara as a state festival, so be it — but it must be celebrated as per established traditions, not the whims of politicians chasing headlines.

Unless Rahul Gandhi and his allies wake up to the basics — facts, credible leadership, coherent messaging, and respect for people’s traditions — they will continue to sink, for the truth is often harsh.

(The author is former Chief Editor of The Hans India)