New Delhi: Was the Congress’ show of strength at a rally at the Ramlila Maidan here Sunday really successful? Analysts said the image-boosting exercise might be “little and late”.
At the rally, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi hit out at the opposition, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), over its allegations of corruption against the government.
The Congress leaders spoke in unison about the benefits of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail to farmers, consumers and its role in creating jobs for the youth, three key constituencies for the party. They also spoke about the compulsions of the government to hike price of petroleum products.
However, the contentious decision of putting a cap on subsidised cylinders was not elaborated upon. Corruption and FDI are likely to be poll issues in the Gujarat assembly polls this December and string of assembly polls next year.
Political analyst Subrata Mukherjee said Congress had been at the receiving end of allegations and needed to provide an answer.
“It (the rally) remains a symbolic mobilisation. It may be too little, too late. Such moves will not create an impression unless the government acts and puts out a cleaner image,” Mukherjee, a former professor at Delhi University said.
Asked about Rahul Gandhi’s assertion to make the political system more “open”, Mukherjee said such words “do not cut ice with people anymore”.
Nisar-ul-Haq, professor of history in Jamia Millia Islamia, said the Congress in the past had not been effectively reaching out to people in the face of concerted attack by the opposition and the rally had helped fill the gap.
“They (were) not clarifying what they were doing. The Congress wanted to assert itself,” he said. IANS
