In every sense there was no justification to bring a No Confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Not only the number factor; even on merits the Congress and other opposition parties did not have any solid point to make against Om Birla. Thus, the defeat of No Trust motion against Speaker was yet another costly miscalculation by a fractured opposition.
The episode underscores the continued inability of the INDIA bloc to translate procedural manoeuvres into effective parliamentary pressure — and hands the BJP a ready-made narrative heading into the remainder of the Budget Session.
Rahul Gandhi remains the commander-in-chief of a party not only in failures; but a party that remains wedded to mistakes.
Incidentally, the Congress is the only national opposition party but it disorganised, weak and lacking effective leadership. It flails when not in power goes the refrain.
It made considerable ground nevertheless in 2024 having won 99 seats. But arrogance is its characteristic and if this is a virtue; prospect of political divided is less. Worse, the Congress party seldom learns any political lesson. The 2014, the 2019 and the 2024 polls - the Congress suffered a third consecutive electoral defeat.
This did throw out the question of 'political viability' of the grand old party and yet hardly any corrective step has been taken. The 'Gandhi family' is accused of elitism and Rahul Gandhi remains a symbol of a dynast who is not only far away from ground reality; but he is grossly arrogant.
No step taken to strengthen the party organisation because Rahul Gandhi is solely depending on trying gimmicks like Vote Chori or Chowkidar Chor hae slogans to unseat Narendra Modi. On the other hand India's Prime Minister remains the most popular popular icon of last two decades.
This has given Modi the confidence as he says India under him will brave throw the new Gulf war crisis and LPG shortage if any as the people and the country did come through the turbulent days of Covid19 crisis. For many Congress leaders within its ranks, the party without the the dynastic control is "unfathomable". Hence Rahul Gandhi remains the only recognisable face of the party.
The power lies with him even as Malikarjun Kharge is there as a rubber stamp president. The 'family' has over the years instead enhanced its grip on the party structure. It now has three MPs - Rahul and his sister Priyanka in Lok Sabha and their Italian-born mother (reportedly ailing) Sonia Gandhi has moved to the Upper House of parliament.
"Indians like selflessness and the spirit of sacrifice. The Congress party and the dynasty is just the anti-thesis. And yet they think voters will endorse them," says Kolkata-based Ashirbad Poddar, whose father served in the Congress party for decades in Bihar. Many like him talk about Narendra Modi's 2014 national pledge - 'Congress Mukt Bharat'.
However, in Assam - analyst Ashutosh Talukdar says -- "Modi wants o create an India without Congress. This is not wiping out the party as may suggest. It actually meant wiping out the Gandhi dynasty and the Congress seems determined to resist that even at the cost of the future of the party itself".
Much may still depend on UP elections in 2027
The Congress party has to quickly take corrective step and work on organisation and next year's elections in UP and Punjab in particular. There is a political vacuum in Punjab and if the cards are played well; the Congress may unseat AAP in the critical northern state.
In Uttar Pradesh of course, it cannot come to power on its own. But it can play a key role as an associate of the Samajwadi Party.
In 2024 parliamentary polls, the dynamics of 'differences' within BJP came up in Uttar Pradesh and hence they paid a huge price.
It was the INDIA bloc alliance, led by Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi party, working closely alongside the Congress party led by Gandhi, that proved to be a winning formula. However, it is easier said than done especially the BJP - a party that is a very quick learner.
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