Rahul Gandhi To Be Opposition's Face For 2024 Polls? Congress MP Says 'No Doubt About It'

The recent Supreme Court stay on Rahul Gandhi's conviction in the 'Modi surname' defamation case has breathed new life into the Congress party's political ambitions. With the legal hurdle temporarily lifted, the Congress now finds itself in a stronger position within the 'I.N.D.I.A' alliance and is projecting Rahul Gandhi as the face of the Opposition for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha election.

On Sunday, Congress Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal, Pradip Bhattacharya, called Rahul a "courageous leader" under whose leadership a "new political chapter will soon be scripted". "Rahul Gandhi is a courageous leader, who boldly called out the misdeeds of the Modi government. The BJP tried to harass him but the Supreme Court cleared him in the defamation case. A new political chapter will soon be scripted under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. I have no doubt that he will be the Opposition's face in the general elections next year," Bhattacharya said.

On Monday, all eyes will be on the Lok Sabha Secretariat as it is set to review the stay on Rahul Gandhi's conviction and decide on the revocation of his Parliament membership. If his disqualification is revoked, Congress would prefer him to be the key speaker from the opposition ranks during the no-trust motion which is scheduled to be taken up for debate on Tuesday. This could further enhance Rahul Gandhi's visibility and position within the Opposition.

Opposition unity and PM face dilemma

The prospect of Gandhi becoming the face of the Opposition for the 2024 polls has sparked discussions on who will be the Opposition face against PM Modi, especially after Trinamool Congress (TMC) pitched West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a Prime Ministerial candidate.

Earlier in July, Birbhum TMC MP Satabdi Roy said that if the Congress party is not in a run for the PM's post, then "we would like Mamata Banerjee to be" the Opposition's PM face for the 2024 polls. Her remark came after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that Grand Old Party is not interested in the Prime Minister post. 

Also, before the recent bonhomie between Mamata and Gandhi at the Bengaluru meeting of the Opposition, the West Bengal CM allegedly attacked the former Congress chief stating that if Rahul becomes the face of the Opposition, it would be difficult for anyone to target PM Modi effectively. According to sources, in March, Banerjee told party workers that "Rahul is PM Modi's biggest TRP". "If Rahul Gandhi is the face of the Opposition, then nobody will be able to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi," sources quoted her as saying.

Notably, Congress' projection of Rahul as PM face for Lok Sabha elections can have several implications, especially considering the presence of other leaders like Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal, TMC's Mamata Banerjee, and Janata Dal (United) Nitish Kumar, who are also being projected as potential candidates by their respective parties. 

(With inputs from agencies)