The slogan ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’ might have just been an election call, but that it has become a reality is undeniable. One might choose to say that it is not a good ‘omen’ for democracy, but then again it is the might of the democracy which chooses to overthrow a party that has for years ruled India.
The latest state to slip away from the Congress was Meghalaya. So when it comes down to the finishing line in Karnataka, Congress will do everything in its power to keep it in its safe vault. And it has. While Rahul Gandhi has had a sudden love for Hinduism, a temple run and quoting Hindu scriptures, the Siddaramaiah government has played the Lingayat card only recently. Between state flags and regionalism, the Congress isn’t shy about playing any of these cards and the war cry is loud and clear.
In spite of its losses in elections, the Congress has been able to reinvent itself on social media. And the woman who made it possible is Divya Spandana. She has changed the scene for the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, made sure the Gandhi scion finally has his share of followers, invented hashtags, and as critiques would say got the bot-game on spot.
Divya Spandana was handpicked by Rahul Gandhi. Her mentor S.M Krishna had joined the BJP in 2016. Divya Spandana’s mother Ranjitha had stressed on the fact that even though Krishna had quit the party, she and Divya Spandana would remain with the Congress.
In a sudden development however, the Congress IT Cell in-charge’s mother has raised the flag of revolt against the party ahead of the state assembly election, which in other words is Congress’s battle of staying afloat.
Divya Spandana’s mother Ranjitha has demanded an assembly ticket for herself from the Mandya constituency. Ranjitha has also reminded the Congress party to give a suitable post to her daughter.
Ranjitha is in pinch-hitting mode and she has warned the party that she will contest as an independent if the ticket is not given to her. And this doesn’t sound good for the incumbent. A discontented Ranjitha has been associated with the party for 28 years now.
“I want to fight from Mandya. I request the Congress high command to give me ticket this time. If they don’t, I’m even ready to try my luck as an independent candidate… It is true that she heads AICC social media cell in New Delhi. It is an important post. But the people of Mandya don’t understand all that. They will understand only if the party high command gives her an important post in the party, which will help her to do something for the people of Mandya. She should get something much better” Ranjitha was quoted saying to News18.
Divya Spandana who had successfully contested a Lok Sabha by-poll from Mandya in 2013, lost the 2014 general elections by a paltry margin of 5000 votes to the JDS candidate CS Puttaraju. Rumors were rife that Divya Spandana was vying for the Mandya seat in the assembly polls, which of course she had dismissed as a figment of the media’s imagination.
The state Congress leaders are maintaining that their President Shri Rahul Gandhi will look into the demands Divya Spandana’s mother Ranjitha has made. While Divya Spandana is a key member of Congress’s social media presence and Congress might want to come to an understanding with Ranjitha, Ranjitha’s allegations would remind us of Veerappa Moily’s tweet.
Veerappa Moily, who now has earned now earned himself a show cause notice from the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, was in news recently for a tweet.
“INC need (sic) to solve money in politics. We can’t afford to have contractors and their nexus with the state PWD minister determine how candidates are selected for the upcoming Assembly elections”. This tweet was posted from Moily’s unverified Twitter handle.
What levels the Congress stoops down to while protecting one of its last standing bastions will be interesting to see.