What is the future of Congress?

The prelude to a mouth-watering political drama has been written for 2019 with an appetiser in Kolkata.  A range of opposition parties came together to address a mega rally in Kolkata wherein soaring speeches were delivered, gracious gestures exchanged, clever slogans worked the crowds with expectations running high. 

They all had a common target: the BJP in general; and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief, Amit Shah, in particular. The election was presented as a binary - of the BJP alone on one side with the rest of the country on the other. In the aftermath of Mamata's rally, the pertinent questions that need answering now would be - what would be the role of the Congress in the political near-future?

 - J S Acharya, Hyderabad