Who has that glue to bind Opposition?

Predictably, the race for the pole position amongst the Opposition for the next general election is getting tighter. Too many contestants with vision beyond their capacity and borders are loading guns and taking potshots at their own ilk in a bid to surpass others in the competition. The varying narratives and differing viewpoints are getting complex and muddying the scenario further. The Opposition needs a united face and a unidirectional functioning – an act that makes everything or everyone move in a single direction. This means adaptation of a linear approach to the problem at hand.

What is the problem at hand? Defeating the BJP or even taking it head-on in the next elections with conviction. Let us look at the players in the game of thrones. From the beginning we had Mamata Didi who used her till now undisputable position in Bengal politics to challenge the BJP and projecting her as an alternative. A major weakness inherent to her schemes is her vulnerability. Mamata could be a contender – thanks to her street-fighter qualities and her appeal to the minorities – as long as her position remains unaltered in West Bengal. As long as she is in power without any significant Opposition for her in her State, she could afford challenging the BJP.

Rahul Gandhi, the prime contender from the Congress, has this huge task of setting his house in order before dreaming of anything else. However, some of his own party leaders don't seem to agree with him either on his leadership within the party. A second challenge for Rahul Gandhi is clearing the cobwebs of his mind. He is too confused to understand the psyche of the voters of his own cadres. A third issue that confronts Rahul Gandhi is his understanding of Hinduism. As his honorable brother-in-law, an appendable baggage of the dynasty, once described, the ' mango-people' of the nation speak a different language. Aping others and running around temples, or wearing a 'janeu' all the while condemning the Brahmanical order of this country, calling India just a union of States (by the way, if it is not a nation, what is he trying to unite and why?) and maintaining the emotional distance from the people on issues like Kashmir certainly is not going to help him.

Next, we have Nitish Kumar who suddenly is having visions of becoming the Prime Minister of the country in the company of the likes of Tejaswi Yadav. Anyone could become a Prime Minister in our democracy. It is not wrong to dream of becoming one. But he should know that Yadav and he are as different as chalk and cheese. We saw him landing in Delhi the other day seeking to unite the Opposition including the Congress. And we have Tejaswi who asks the Congress to keep at bay if it really is interested in taking on the BJP.

Going by the definition of leadership, KCR thinks he is the real unicorn and the others must toe his line. He is trying his best in making the opposition rally behind his 'visionary leadership' on the strength of his base in Telangana. Maybe Tejaswi is right in his observation. Not just Rahul, but all these, should embark on "Opposition Jodo' operation respecting everyone's space to take on the enigmatic leadership of the BJP. Will this be asking for too much?