Rahul Gandhi Returns to Parliament, Boosting Congress Party Profile
NEW DELHI, Aug 7 (Reuters) – Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, returned to India’s parliament on Monday after a Supreme Court ruling, boosting the profile of his party and its opposition allies ahead of a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
The vote, scheduled for later this week, is not expected to affect the popularity of Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which holds a strong majority. However, the return of Gandhi, a member of one of India’s most renowned political dynasties, to parliament is expected to strengthen the voice of the newly formed, 26-party opposition alliance led by Congress.
Lawmakers will debate and vote on the government’s performance from Tuesday to Thursday. Gandhi’s presence is seen as a significant development in the opposition’s push to challenge the BJP’s agenda.
Gandhi, whose father, grandmother, and great-grandfather were prime ministers of India, was convicted in March in a case brought by a BJP lawmaker over comments he made in 2019 that were deemed insulting to Modi and others with the same name, including the lawmaker. As a result of the conviction, Gandhi lost his parliamentary seat and was sentenced to two years in jail, but later granted bail.
Last week, the Supreme Court suspended Gandhi’s conviction, allowing him to return to parliament and contest next year’s elections. This decision has brought relief to the people of India, particularly to Gandhi’s constituency, Wayanad, in the southern state of Kerala, according to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Upon his return to parliament on Monday, Gandhi paid respect to the statue of freedom movement leader Mahatma Gandhi in the complex but did not speak to reporters. Outside the parliament’s entrance, lawmakers from Congress and other opposition parties gathered to cheer Gandhi and their newly formed alliance called INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), which plans to run against the BJP in the upcoming national elections.
While the alliance prepares for the elections, the BJP has emphasized that the Supreme Court has only suspended Gandhi’s conviction and has not overturned it. The political landscape in India remains dynamic as both the ruling party and the opposition gear up for the upcoming elections.
Reporting by YP Rajesh, Nigam Prusty, and Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Robert Birsel, and Miral Fahmy
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