Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has intensified his engagement within the party after returning from an overseas visit, signalling an attempt to steady a fractious opposition at a moment of mounting pressure. The push comes against the backdrop of a decisive setback in the Maharashtra civic elections, strains within the INDIA alliance, and a crowded electoral calendar that threatens to expose organisational fault lines ahead of Parliament’s budget session.Party officials say Gandhi has resumed frequent consultations with state leaders and members of the parliamentary strategy group, seeking to align positions before debates begin in the Lok Sabha. The immediate task is to keep opposition coordination intact during a session expected to feature sharp exchanges on fiscal policy, welfare allocations, and federal finances. That task has been complicated by the electoral drubbing in Maharashtra’s urban local bodies, where the party and its allies underperformed against the ruling coalition, fuelling doubts among partners about seat-sharing formulas and campaign leadership.
Within opposition circles, the defeat has revived questions about the durability of the INDIA alliance, a grouping formed to maximise anti-incumbency votes but challenged by competing regional priorities. Several leaders privately concede that unity is harder to maintain outside a national campaign, particularly when state-level losses sharpen anxieties about relevance and resources. The alliance’s coordination committee has met to keep channels open, yet differences persist over parliamentary tactics, with some parties favouring confrontational disruption while others argue for selective cooperation to extract concessions.
Gandhi’s renewed presence is intended to counter that drift. Associates describe his approach as hands-on, with an emphasis on rebuilding morale and clarifying lines of authority. He has urged state units to focus on organisational rebuilding rather than public recriminations, even as the party confronts a string of contests in five states scheduled to vote later this year. Those elections—spanning regions with divergent political cultures—will test the party’s ability to tailor alliances locally while projecting coherence nationally.
The electoral calendar also intersects with internal contests that risk spilling into the open. Vacancies due this year in the Rajya Sabha have triggered jockeying among aspirants and state leaders, with competing claims over nominations. The leadership faces the delicate task of balancing loyalty, winnability, and representation without deepening factionalism. Senior figures acknowledge that unresolved disputes could undermine campaign discipline at a time when unity is being scrutinised.
Beyond personnel matters, policy positioning poses another challenge. Opposition parties are weighing how aggressively to challenge the government’s budget while avoiding mixed signals that could alienate swing voters. Economists aligned with the party have urged a sharper focus on employment generation and social protection, arguing that these themes resonate across states. Others caution that fiscal credibility must be preserved to counter accusations of populism. Gandhi has encouraged debate on these questions but pressed for a clear, shared narrative before floor discussions begin.