In the continuing battle between Indian political parties, the Congress has made a threat to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s leader Himanta Biswa Sarma. Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi has reportedly said that if Sarma does not apologize for his recent comments about Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, the Congress will courier him biscuits. The comment was seen as a sarcastic reference to the many gifts and sweets exchanged between political leaders in India, which are sometimes seen as being a way to curry favor with each other.
The dispute between the Congress and the BJP has been ongoing for some time now, and has been fueled by a number of high-profile defections from the Congress to the BJP. Many of these defections have been in states where the BJP is looking to increase its power, including Assam, where the current chief minister is a former Congress leader who switched sides in 2015.
Recently, the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a tweet that was seen as a shot across the bow of the BJP. In the tweet, Gandhi posted a comparison of grocery prices from 2013 and 2023, with a caption that read “Adani has more money than you think”. The reference was seen as a not-so-subtle dig at the billionaire Gautam Adani, who has been accused by some in India of having too much influence over the government due to his close relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The tweet was quickly picked up by the BJP, who accused Gandhi of spreading false information and trying to gain political mileage by attacking Adani. The BJP’s response was led by the Assam chief minister, who tweeted back to Gandhi saying “We will meet in court of law”. This was seen as a direct challenge to Gandhi, and a sign that the BJP is not afraid to take legal action against its opponents.
The ongoing tit-for-tat between the Congress and the BJP is indicative of the increasingly polarized state of politics in India. Both parties are gearing up for what could be a fiercely contested election in 2024, and are trying to gain maximum advantage by scoring points against each other. With the BJP currently in power both at the national level and in many states, the Congress is facing an uphill battle to regain its lost ground. At the same time, the BJP is facing increasing criticism from opposition parties over its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and other issues.
As the political temperature in India continues to rise, it remains to be seen how this battle will play out. Will the Congress manage to mount a credible challenge to the BJP in the upcoming elections, or will the BJP continue to dominate Indian politics for the foreseeable future? Only time will tell, but one thing is clear: the stakes are high, and neither side is backing down.
