‘Badlav’ the Buzzword for 2024? Cong Banks on RaGa’s Belief to Tweak Poll Strategy, Train Guns on PM Modi
Rahul Gandhi’s first speech in California was the beginning of many such speeches in America. As expected, the speech has created controversy, with the BJP and Congress at crosshairs. The former MP’s remaining sessions and conversations are likely to create controversy as the grand old party and Rahul Gandhi have decided to shame it and face Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP – even abroad.
This is part of the well-crafted communication strategy of the Congress – which was also planned during the Karnataka elections. Congress no longer buys personal attacks on Prime Minister Boomerang. In fact, when Prime Minister Modi pointed out that there were 91 instances of Gandhi being targeted at a rally in Karnataka, Priyanka Vadra retorted: “If I counted the number of times my family was insulted and called names, we could publish a book.”
Every time Rahul Gandhi travels abroad, his speeches become a talking point and a point of attack for the BJP. Neither he nor the party is unaware of the ‘hungama’ his recent comments are stirring up. In fact, there are instances where one notices that he enjoys mocking the Prime Minister.
There is a pattern to this changed strategy of the Congress during the Karnataka elections and before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Party communications chief Pawan Khera told News18: “It cannot be about one man – the Prime Minister. We should stop thinking that he is ‘chhui mui’ (touched) about the attacks on him.
Sources say this has always been Rahul Gandhi’s belief. From day one, he had said that no one should hesitate to attack the Prime Minister and question him. He never thought the move would boomerang. However, as the 2014 and 2019 results came out and the party analyzed the reasons for the defeat, the top Congress leadership opined that concepts like ‘chai waala’ and ‘neech aadmi’ helped create a narrative for the prime minister and the BJP.
But now, after nine years, a sense of fatigue has set in, and therefore, the Congress feels that not attacking PM Modi is a wrong strategy. The Grand Old Party thinks there is a vote bank that wants this attack on the Prime Minister because they are upset. It is this vote bank that the Congress wants to tap into, and Rahul Gandhi’s overseas sessions will be the vehicle for it. Time will tell if that turns out to be true.
