Focus on Rahul Gandhi on his first visit to US as Leader of Opposition
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi would visit the United States from September 8 to 10. This is his first visit to the US after this year’s Lok Sabha elections, following which he became the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the lower house of parliament.
According to Congress leaders, Rahul’s itinerary comprises several interactions in Washington DC and Dallas, including at the University of Texas.
The visit is being watched keenly by the Bharatiya Janata Party because his past statements on foreign soil have stirred up political controversies — during his last visit to the US in 2023, for instance, Gandhi attracted a lot of attention thanks to his criticism of the Indian government and its functioning.
The BJP has severely criticised comments Gandhi has made in his speeches abroad, asserting that criticism of the Indian government on foreign soil undermines the country’s global standing. The ruling party has also argued that domestic disagreements, if any, should be sorted in the country and not raked up on foreign soil.
Apart from the expected interest among political observers and the media, what makes this visit interesting is that it precedes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to the US. Therefore, what Gandhi may say in the US could set the narrative for the PM to follow in his meetings with the Indian Diaspora.
Gandhi will meet academics, journalists, representatives of think-tanks, technocrats, businessmen and other people from the Indian Diaspora and local communities, according to Congress leaders. They say that Gandhi has evoked a lot of overseas interest after the party’s “good run” in the Lok Sabha elections and him becoming the LoP.
Bombarded with requests: Congress
The Indian Overseas Congress claims that it has been “bombarded with requests” for meetings with Gandhi. Party leaders say that after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the post of the LoP has gained prominence after 10 years, and the "world wants to listen to Gandhi, his views on democracy, Constitution and India’s future".
“Since Mr Rahul Gandhi has become the Leader of Opposition, I as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress with presence in 32 countries have been bombarded with requests from Indian diaspora, diplomats, academicians, businessmen, leaders, and international media for interactions with Mr Rahul Gandhi. Now, he is coming to the US for a very brief visit,” Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Pitroda has said. This “increased interest” could be a source of worry for the ruling party in India. Recent reports have also suggested that India’s diplomatic partners have stepped up “engagement” with Congress after the elections.
Any attempt to reset the Congress narrative among the powerful Indian-American community, which the BJP has carefully cultivated over the years, would be of deep interest and concern among the leaders of the saffron party. The Indian Diaspora has been a big source of political funding in India, and interactions with it have always helped burnish PM Modi’s persona back home.
Coming in the backdrop of the upcoming US presidential elections, with Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, the vice-president, taking on former President Donald Trump, the visit gains greater significance.
Seemingly, there is also a domestic angle as, according to Pitroda, people in the US are also interested in the states and capitals the Congress is in power, “especially Bengaluru, Hyderabad".
"Hopefully if we win Maharashtra there is an interest in Mumbai, Pune, and Gurgaon. These are really the business cities of the country with a focus on technology. There is interest from the business and technology community as well," Pitroda said.
