Dilemma, Poll Priorities & ‘Samanvay’: How INDIA Bloc Is Navigating Choppy Waqf Waters
The Waqf Amendment Bill hurts the core vote bank of many INDIA bloc allies like the TMC, Samajwadi Party, RJD, and Congress and hence, the need to put up a united front
“Where is the Samanvay (coordination) room?" asked the booming voice of TMC Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee. One of the first to arrive for the coordination meet to firm up the opposition strategy on the Waqf Bill, the Trinamool Congress has, of late, been staying away from any attempt at full coordination or ‘samanvay’ and unity within the INDIA bloc.
At a meeting of Rahul Gandhi with his Lok Sabha colleagues, the MP asked them to speak in one voice and attack the Bill and the government. This despite the fact that not all in the Congress are on the same page.
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The Waqf Amendment Bill hurts the core vote bank of many INDIA bloc allies like the TMC, Samajwadi Party, RJD, and Congress. So, the message that all is well in the bloc also points to the vested political compulsions that have brought the allies together.
After the first round of meetings, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge made a statement to say that they would all fight and oppose the Bill together. He said: “All the opposition parties are united and shall work together on the floor of Parliament to defeat the unconstitutional and divisive agenda of the Modi government on the Waqf Amendment Bill."
While Gandhi agreed that “we should sound and look one", he made it clear that the voice of the Congress should be the loudest and louder for issues like EPIC, voter’s’ list, and Manipur violence among others. This was the reason why on Tuesday, Congress’s floor leader of Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi gave a notice on the EPIC issue.
For the Congress, the Waqf strategy is a double-edged sword. With Kerala polls next year, and many Catholic and Christian organisations showing support for the Bill, party leaders from Kerala are in a fix. They don’t want to openly disagree with the Catholics and priests, yet the party stand is to oppose the Bill on the grounds that it hurts the interests of the minorities. This is why Kerala Congress MPs met to discuss their plan and have decided to remain mum on the issue and not make any out-of-turn comments.
At the national level, the Congress is pitching the Bill as targeting a community and, as Jairam Ramesh said, “a direct attack on the Constitution and its foundation". The SP, RJD and TMC are naturally opposing the Bill as it’s their core vote bank. But the Congress wants to balance both its Hindutva and minority agendas. Hence, the dilemma.
One more reason why Gandhi wants to actively stay away from a speech on the floor of the House and lay the focus instead on minority speakers is because a section of Congress leaders is worried that a vociferous attack on the Bill could hurt its chances in the Hindi heartland.
Choosing among Catholic, Muslim, and Hindu votes is not an easy task for the Congress. It’s also a choice between a party that wants to fight against corruption, but also wants to protect the minorities. For instance, the Triple Talaq Bill, which got a thumbs-up from Muslim women, was opposed by Maulavis and many men. Making the choice was tough for the Congress yet again but it decided to go with the majority sentiment.
For the Waqf Bill, the dilemma is apparent and the silence of the Gandhis in the Lok Sabha aptly captures it.
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