Echoes of 'Prapanchvati' resurface as Rahul declares political war

Rahul Gandhi urges major reforms and a fierce campaign against PM Modi and the BJP

- ALOK MEHTA

During Indira Gandhi's rule in 1973-74, disgruntled Congressmen in Gujarat used to say that Chief Minister Chimanbhai Patel conspired in "Prapanchvati" to silence voices against his corruption and misdeeds. That's what his consultation chamber was nicknamed. Now, top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is holding consultations with his advisors in the same Gujarat, announcing a purge of dissenters within the party—those whose views on issues like temples and Hindutva align closely with those of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Rahul Gandhi delivered fiery speeches both before and after the Congress convention in Ahmedabad, calling for sweeping changes and an aggressive campaign against the BJP, especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As a result, old Congressmen and journalists in Gujarat are remembering "Prapanchvati" once again. They're also reminding others that leaders like Chimanbhai Patel played a role in the decline of the Congress in Gujarat.

The question arises: Are Rahul Gandhi's advisors planning to expel leaders like former Gujarat Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki from the party? During the convention, he was kept away from public view. Even though K.C. Venugopal is new as Rahul's key general, Sonia Gandhi and her close aide Ambika Soni surely know how much help Bharatsinh's father Madhavsinh Solanki extended to the Gandhi family during various crises—including the Bofors scandal—while serving as Gujarat CM and India's External Affairs Minister.