Opinion | 'Team Rahul' And 'Team Priyanka': Inside Congress' Plans For Kerala And Assam

Disclaimer First: There is no such thing as Team Rahul or Team Priyanka within the Indian National Congress. What exists in reality is a blurred, imaginary line-up of Team Rahul and Team Priyanka Gandhi. They don't function at cross-purposes or differ on key ideological issues. However, in practice, they are often seen following slightly different 'chaal, chalan, chehra', as they say, from each other.

The upcoming assembly polls this year in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry are set to have a crucial bearing not only on the country's politics but also on the grand old party and its internal dynamics. To a discerning observer, the Congress line-up for Assam and Kerala is most interesting. The party's prospects of winning in Kerala are high, while in Assam, it is merely fancying its chances.

Team Priyanka In Assam

It may be a pure coincidence, but the Congress team for Assam is, in effect, Team Priyanka. She is the chairperson of the screening committee that will select 126 party candidates. The list of observers consists of DK Shivakumar and Bhupesh Baghel, both seen to be favourably inclined towards her. There were efforts to draft poll strategist Naresh Arora, too, in the Congress campaign, but the DesignBoxed head is said to be staying away from it for now. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in charge is Bhunwar Jitendra Singh, whose loyalty towards the Gandhi siblings is absolute. As a former Alwar maharaja, he is a wildlife enthusiast, which also brings him closer to Priyanka.

Rahul Takes Kerala

In Kerala, all key players, except for perhaps Sachin Pilot and Shashi Tharoor, can be classified as Team Rahul. To be sure, Sachin's stature within the Congress is tall, which prevents him from being projected into any team or camp. Tharoor had been focusing on his own brand of politics all this while, but of late, he has again aligned with the rest of the Kerala Congress to shore up the party's prospects. Karnataka Minister KJ George, Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi and party leader Kanhaiya Kumar are other observers for the Kerala assembly polls. 

Team Rahul is fully and solely represented by KC Venugopal, who himself loves being Rahul's eyes and ears. While Ramesh Chennithala is a strong contender for the Chief Minister's post, Venugopal is hoping to upstage him with the help of Rahul.

Regardless of whether Venugopal becomes Chief Minister of Kerala or not, old-timers within the grand old party wonder why the Assam and Kerala polls are being seen through the lens of Priyanka and Rahul camps. Is there a design that the Gandhi siblings failed to see?

The Assam Muddle

As many survey agencies indicate, Congress is expected to come back to power in Kerala, while there is a big, big question mark over it being able to dislodge the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam. In any case, the party has been caught in an awkward muddle in Assam in the wake of an avalanche of 'resignations' and 'revolts' in the state unit. The former state party chief, Bhupen Borah, has threatened to join the BJP in spite of Priyanka Gandhi's efforts to retain him. Borah had been in touch with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma even when he was heading the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC). The buzz is that he has been offered a ministerial berth by Sarma in the next government.

On the other hand, a number of Muslim MLAs and leaders who are being denied assembly tickets are queuing up outside the Raijor Dol office. Party insiders attribute this to AICC General Secretary Bhunwar Jitendra Singh's over-reliance on party MP Rakibul Hasan, who is increasingly turning unpopular among Muslim leaders. 

The failure to set up a subcommittee to look into alliances is also proving costly. It seems Jitendra Singh is more focused on bagging a Rajya Sabha berth from his home state, Rajasthan, rather than committing his body and spirit to the Assam contest.

Who Gains, Who Loses

If the Congress wins in Kerala, Rahul's close lieutenants - everyone from Venugopal and KJ George to Kanhaiya Kumar - stand to gain from it. On the other hand, if the Congress continues to sit in opposition in Dispur, it's DK Shivakumar, Bhupesh Baghel and others who'll be held accountable for the defeat and failure.

In the bigger picture, would the poll results impact DK Shivakumar's bid to replace Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Karnataka? Would it compromise Baghel's efforts to be the face of the party in Chhattisgarh against rival TS Singhdeo's growing ambitions to lead from the front?

The poll dates for the five state elections have not even been announced, but Congress circles have already started analysing the impact of the Kerala and Assam outcomes. Such is the state of affairs in the grand old party.

A Clearer Vision For Priyanka

The poll outcome is also set to define a role for Priyanka Gandhi. At present, she is the AICC general secretary but doesn't hold charge of any state or have any organisational duty.  Paradoxically, the problem with Priyanka is that she has always had too much on her plate. The AICC general secretary is expected to be in firefighting mode perpetually, be a social media warrior, proactive on X, and use television news to her advantage to take on the highly skilled and resourceful BJP. There is no dearth of Congress leaders who want her to be a "star campaigner" in poll-bound states. She is also expected to play the role of the late Ahmed Patel and act as an interface between the party and Rahul Gandhi. And as if these seemingly insurmountable tasks weren't enough, Priyanka needs to appear understated through it all so that she does not outshine her brother, Rahul. 

But this is also one area where spin doctors, professionals and party leaders have little to do. The relationship of the brother and sister is such that no third person - except, perhaps, their mother, Sonia - can intervene or guide them.

(Rasheed Kidwai is an author, columnist and conversation curator)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author