The Congress party is working tirelessly to capitalize on the Haldwani purification controversy in Uttarakhand. The Congress party sees the primary focus of this issue as the Chief Minister’s seat in Punjab, a position it could hold until 2029.
New Delhi: The political underpinnings of the Haldwani incident in Uttarakhand, after a long hibernation, are becoming clear. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge dropped the alleged ‘purification’ bombshell in Parliament on the final day of the monsoon session. However, Rahul Gandhi hesitated in responding. Now, it appears the party has a strategy in place.
On the last day of the monsoon session, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, alleged that after his rally in Haldwani, the venue was allegedly “purified” because he is a Dalit. A week later, Rahul Gandhi raised the issue in a press conference, for which elaborate preparations had been made. Now, with an FIR filed against Rahul Gandhi in this case, the Congress has made it a major part of its political campaign.
Congress’s Last Hope in the Punjab Elections
If we try to understand the politics behind this late raising of the issue by the Congress, it seems that it sees it as a straw to hold on to in the Punjab Assembly elections. This is because the Dalit or Scheduled Caste population in Punjab is approximately 32 percent.
Speculation of a BJP-Akali alliance increases tension
Some political pundits, long supporters of the Congress, saw the party as having considerable potential against the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab. Because, apart from urban areas, the BJP has not been able to achieve much in rural areas. However, in the last few weeks, speculation about an electoral rift between the top leadership of the BJP and the Akali Dal has suddenly intensified. These speculations are pulling the rug from under the feet of Congress strategists.
The Dalit CM card failed in 2022.
In the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, a large portion of the Dalit vote bank went to the Aam Aadmi Party. Its unexpected victory speaks for itself. A few months before the elections, after turning its back on Captain Amarinder Singh, the Congress tried Charanjit Singh Channi, but he proved to be a counterproductive for the party. It could not attract enough Dalit votes to Congress to put a brake on AAP.
Hoping to capitalize on the ‘Constitution in Danger’ idea
Charanjit Singh Channi is already said to be disgruntled in the internal politics of the state Congress. In such a situation, Congress believes that slogans like “Dalits are in danger” can keep its hopes of returning to power alive, even despite a possible BJP-Akali Dal alliance. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress and its allies have already tasted the “Constitution is in danger” election slogan.
Congress confident of repeating 2024 in UP
The “Constitution is in danger” narrative worked most favorably for the India Bloc in Uttar Pradesh. Even Samajwadi Party supporters were surprised to see a large number of Jatavs abandoning the elephant and opting for the paw and cycle. Congress sees the same hope in the “Dalits are in danger” slogan. Assembly elections are also being held in UP along with Punjab, where approximately 20 percent of the population is Dalit.
Challenge from BSP, ASP, and BJP
However, with the BSP and Chandrashekhar Azad’s Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), it will not be easy for the Congress and SP to break into the Dalit vote bank in UP in the assembly elections. Furthermore, the BJP has also maintained a strong hold among this community through its governments’ welfare schemes, especially among non-Jatav Dalits. However, the Congress is hopeful that the “Dalits are in danger” slogan, like the “Constitution in danger,” could also work in UP this time.
Congress hopes for a slogan for 2029
If leaders like Rahul Gandhi are truly thinking ahead, they may also consider this narrative for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. The Scheduled Caste population across the country is approximately 16 percent, and the Congress believes that if this strategy works, it could prevent the BJP from achieving an absolute majority in 2024, and this time it could even come close to power.
Authored by: Anjan Kumar
About the Author
Anjan Kumar is an Assistant Editor at Navbharat Times Online and has been a journalist for over 24 years. He joined Navbharat Times Online in April 2025 and has covered politics in digital media for the past 10 years.
Courtesy: Hindi News