FairPoint: Why Rahul Gandhi's desperation weakens his credibility

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) When Congress leader Rahul Gandhi 'exposed' anomalies in the voter list of Karnataka's Mahadevapura Assembly constituency, it was hailed by his party and allies as a move that exposed the BJP and its victories at the Centre and in states.

Yet, the same Congress and its allies have been opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar -- an exercise by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to clean the electoral rolls. Such contradictory postures raise uncomfortable questions about the intent behind this "expose politics".

The SIR in Bihar was undertaken to rectify errors and update the electoral roll. According to the ECI, 65 lakh voters have been removed from the draft electoral rolls published on August 1. These include 22 lakh deceased, 36 lakh who have either permanently relocated or could not be traced, and seven lakh voters who were registered at multiple locations.

If the ECI is taking action to cleanse and rectify the electoral rolls, why are the Congress and the rest of the Opposition opposing the SIR?

Since the beginning of the Parliament's Monsoon Session on July 21, the Congress-led Opposition has stalled daily proceedings. Apart from the debate on Operation Sindoor, the session has seen only uproar and no meaningful work. Several important bills remain pending, and no discussions are taking place. The scene in Parliament has been reduced to sloganeering, placard-waving, storming the Well of the House, stomping on tables, and shouting down those who try to speak.

If the SIR is wrong, how can a Constitutional body like the ECI fulfil its duty of cleansing the electoral roll? And if the ECI is unable to carry out the exercise properly, then why would Rahul Gandhi raise such issues in a press conference in the first place?

Rahul Gandhi's August 7 press conference at the Congress headquarters in Delhi was not entirely misplaced -- anomalies do need to be highlighted and corrected. He showed on screen bizarre entries from Mahadevapura, such as "dfojgaidf" as a father's name, "0" as a house number, and multiple entries for a single address. Similar concerns have been raised by other parties, including the BJP, which has flagged instances of fake or illegal voters in West Bengal, where Bangladeshi nationals have allegedly participated in Indian elections.

However, to disparage an entire election simply because the results favoured the PM Modi-led NDA over the Rahul Gandhi-led INDIA bloc is akin to insulting voters. Gandhi has repeatedly used terms like "stealing voters." Why not raise the same questions about past elections, before EVMs, when some of his political allies were accused of large-scale poll rigging and booth capturing? Why not question the West Bengal elections, where the ruling Trinamool Congress has been accused of using violence to intimidate opponents and voters?

In 2021, the Supreme Court, while cancelling bail in a West Bengal election violence case, called it "a grave attack on the roots of democracy." The case involved four men accused of assaulting a BJP worker, vandalising his house, and forcibly undressing and molesting his wife on the day the election results were announced. Incidents like this highlight the severity of the issue. Why doesn't Rahul Gandhi take up such causes and fight political violence for the good of democracy?

Unfortunately, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha seems to be engaging in a style of activism reminiscent of AAP founder Arvind Kejriwal, who remained in perpetual protest mode even while in government. Rahul Gandhi's politics over the last few years has become markedly more aggressive, often involving criticism of Constitutional bodies, the Armed Forces, and the Office of the Prime Minister.

The problem isn't ambition -- it's desperation. Like the Eagles' classic song 'Desperado' (1973), Gandhi seems "out riding fences for so long now," grasping at every opportunity to undercut the government. Rahul Gandhi, during the August 7 press conference, while accusing the ruling party of "stealing" votes, somehow revealed his desperation to win and become the PM. And in this 'desperado' situation, he often takes extreme views during crucial moments for the country, like Operation Sindoor, when his statements seemed to favour Pakistan. Or now, as US President Donald Trump is playing tariff tricks with India.

Leadership is about building trust, not eroding confidence in democratic institutions. At 55, Rahul Gandhi should know that exposing wrongs is important, but it doesn't mean the country itself is wrong. As the Supreme Court once told him in the context of remarks on the Indian Army: "If you are a true Indian, you wouldn't say such a thing." A line worth remembering -- and living by.

(Deepika Bhan can be contacted at deepika.b@ians.in)

--IANS

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