Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification will ‘put in more steel’ in Congress: Chidambaram
The Hindu
Former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Sunday said his party’s leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha would strengthen the Congress party, helping its prospects in next year’s general election.
Former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Sunday said his party’s leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha would strengthen the Congress party, helping its prospects in next year's general election.
Describing the political landscape as an “undeclared emergency”, Mr. Chidambaram in an exclusive emailed interview said the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has made the Congress its “prime target” wishing its elimination in order to more easily manage the regional parties.
However, he asserted that Congress would not be “eliminated” and regional parties would “rise and fight” the BJP.
Excerpts:
Q: In the backdrop of Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha after a court judgement in a defamation case, how do you read the country’s political landscape?
A: The country is already in an emergency-like situation. It is an undeclared emergency. One of the complaints during the emergency was that press freedom was snuffed out. Is it any different today? Journalists and the independence of the media are under numerous constraints today. The BJP’s prime target is the Congress party. They think if they are able to eliminate the Congress party from the electoral battleground, the regional or state-specific parties will be easy targets. They are wrong on both counts. The Congress party cannot be eliminated. The regional or state-specific parties will rise and fight.
Q: Do you think the Rahul Gandhi incident would help the Congress in the 2024 elections?
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