Rahul Gandhi’s Leadership as LoP Signals Determination to Challenge BJP Government, Says Shashi Tharoor

Rahul Gandhi’s demeanor as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha indicates his firm resolve and readiness to confront the BJP-led NDA government, according to Shashi Tharoor, his colleague in the Congress party and Lok Sabha member.

“Certainly since the (Lok Sabha) election results, he (Gandhi) has been busy. He is more accessible to everyone. He is also hands-on as the LoP and is participating in Parliament quite frequently. He is actively getting involved in everything in a way that has clearly asserted a sense of leadership and confidence. The body language and the way he is functioning are conveying very strongly within the party, to allies and the BJP, that he is in charge and willing to take them (BJP) on,” Tharoor told The Indian Express.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Congress faced its third consecutive defeat to the BJP, securing 99 seats compared to the BJP’s 240 in the 543-member House. Despite the loss, Congress nearly doubled its tally from the previous 2019 general elections, where it had won 52 seats, a significant increase from the 44 seats in 2014. This increase also marked the first time in a decade that the Lok Sabha would have an official LoP, a role now held by Gandhi, the MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli.

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Tharoor attributed Gandhi’s newfound assertiveness to the two Bharat Jodo Yatras, which he described as pivotal in transforming Gandhi’s approach.

“I would say that the precursors of the change were the two Bharat Jodo Yatras. That is when he began getting out on the streets. For a year and half before the elections, I would say that the change was already underway,” said Tharoor, the MP from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram.

Additionally, Tharoor highlighted the changing dynamics in Parliament, noting that the BJP no longer enjoys a single-party majority, which complicates the government’s ability to pass bills without engaging with the opposition.

“We (opposition) are now double the strength we were last time…that makes a difference. The bulldozer has always been a metaphor for the BJP’s style of politics, as well as what they have been doing to people’s homes. Even when the opposition made noise last time, they (government) still passed the bills anyway. That will be difficult now,” the senior Congressman observed.

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