After a disastrous UPA-II, the Congress had reconciled itself to sitting in the opposition. But panic gripped the family when reports trickled in of the party dipping to double digits. Hence, the frenetic action by the Gandhi family in Rae Bareli and Amethi. The thinking around Congress president Sonia Gandhi is that a tally of 110 plus will enable the party to give outside support to a grouping and somehow keep Modi out.
But Rahul is singing a different tune. He would like to sit in the opposition and reconstruct the party according to his lights.
This would have been a sensible strategy and in harmony with the party vice president's laid-back style, if Modi were zooming ahead, towards the magic figure of 272. He is not. The news from the game changing states like Bihar and Andhra Pradesh is not good for the BJP. Only Modi's very reliable Amit Shah's machinations are keeping the party in serious contention in UP. The BJP's hopes hinge on this state. So, Rahul wake up. You may be required to be nimble.
The manner in which Modi, Arun Jaitley and Amit Shah have pitched their tents in Varanasi against the administration and the Election Commission does not make them look like a victorious trio. Have you ever seen a winning team abuse umpires?
