EBM News English
Leading News Portal in English

BJP, JDS predict end of Cong-AAP détente after Dinesh Gundu Rao’s criticism of Delhi’s much-touted mohalla clinics

Other States
By Correspondent


BJP, JDS predict end of Cong-AAP détente after Dinesh Gundu Rao’s criticism of Delhi’s much-touted mohalla clinics

Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and his Delhi counterpart Surabh Bhardwaj at a Mohalla clinic in Delhi

The Karnataka Health minister visited one of the Delhi government’s flagship community clinics and tweeted his appreciation, only to walk back on his words when jabbed by Delhi Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, much to the merriment of the BJP and the JDS.

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) may be partners in the INDIA alliance, but their relationship is still fragile, given the bad blood between them over the years. Delhi Congress leaders are unable to forget AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal’s vitriolic attacks on the party, and the visit of Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao to a Delhi mohalla (community) clinic only served to scratch old wounds.

The AAP government in Delhi showcases with pride its mohalla clinics and government schools as evidence of its work in the field of health and education, which it claims is the secret of its back-to-back massive victories in the national capital. The BJP and the Congress in Delhi, both virtually emasculated by the AAP juggernaut, scoff at the so-called achievements, pointing out loopholes in AAP’s claims. For the Congress and the BJP, AAP is a common foe. The Congress views Arvind Kejriwal as an irreconcilable enemy, given his political campaign in Anna Hazare agitation, and his relentless attacks on the Sheila Dikshit government in Delhi, which cost the Congress both at the Centre and in Delhi.

The AAP’s unceasing assaults on the Congress which weakened and eventually dethroned the Congress in Punjab too is not easily forgotten by a large section in the Congress. In that backdrop, the recent thaw in the relations between the Congress and AAP, and the latter’s participation in the Congress-led Opposition parties’ INDIA alliance, is viewed with alarm not just by the BJP, but also the Delhi and Punjab units of the Congress.

However, large sections within the Congress are still seething against AAP, which they accuse of being the ‘B’ team of the BJP. The simmering anger erupted when Karnataka Health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao visited a mohalla clinic at the invitation of his Delhi counterpart Saurabh Bharadwaj last Friday.

Following Gundu Rao’s visit, AAP tweeted with glee: “Karnataka’s Health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao along with Delhi’sHealth minister @Saurabh_MLAgk visited Delhi’s Mohalla Clinic today. The health revolution of CM @ArvindKejriwal has created a revolutionary identity in the country and the world. The result of this is that today the leaders of the world and the country come to see the Mohalla Clinic of the Kejriwal government.”

Gundu Rao’s visit to the Panchsheel Park clinic was “a big deal for us”, Bharadwaj tweeted. “He told us about some of the best hospitals in Karnataka. We will also visit those hospitals. All states should learn from each other’s good works.”

Bharadwaj went on to tweet: “(sparkles) Karnataka Govt. takes inspiration from @ArvindKejriwal Health Model. “Iam here to see the Mohalla Clinic Model, what all has changed in the last few years. We are also doing something like this in Karnataka for the aam aadmi.”

That got the goat of Delhi Congress leader and former MP Sandeep Dikshit. Dikshit, son of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, whose government was weakened and ousted by AAP’s relentless campaign. A bitter foe of Kejriwal, Dikshit erupted over Gundu Rao’s praise for the mohalla clinics.

He tweeted: “Wish you’d met us also @dineshgrao – wud have shown real truth of @ArvindKejriwal edu, health, finance, environment, water, roads, buses, infra, rampant corruption ……. Perhaps you could have conveyed this to his new drum beaters in @INCIndia”.

Taken aback, Gundu Rao retracted his earlier statement. “Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on visiting Delhi Mohalla Clinic, says, “It is not that impressive. We have such models in our state as well. There were not many people. It is not a game-changer. I am not saying it is bad, but it is not like the way it is made out to be…There are many models in the south – Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. We run from primary to super-speciality hospitals…So, it’s not a game-changer-like thing that I noticed…” he told ANI.

But the embarrassing episode was latched on to by the JDS, which has emerged as the most vocal Opposition to the Congress in Karnataka. Party president HD Kumaraswamy, who has moved his outfit close to the BJP scoffed at Gundu Rao’s retraction of his initial praise of the clinics. “Let us see what happens to INDIA after six months.”

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla jumped into the fray, scoffing at the Congress-AAP thaw.

“With such friends who needs enemies! This isn’t anything close to the spirit of INDIA – this is just an opportunistic alliance of people who have nothing in common, least of all a mission or vision for the country! They are all together only to save their corruption & to try & stop the work of PM Modi.”

But the BJP’s suspicion about a Congress-AAP thaw, mainly arising out the electoral possibilities in Delhi and Punjab, which together have 20 Lok Sabha seats, and the simmering discontent within the Congress unit in Delhi, may not dismantle the newfound détente between the two political rivals. Both parties view the BJP as a greater threat, the AAP more so after the BJP pushed through the Delhi civil services Bill in Parliament.

With 13 seats at stake in Punjab, if the AAP and the Congress fight independently, it could benefit the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which, fearing complete eclipse, could rejoin the BJP-led NDA. In the 2019 elections, the Congress won eight, the SAD and BJP two each, and the AAP won its sole seat in the Lok Sabha.

In Delhi, the BJP won all the seven seats in 2019, repeating its performance of 2014. If the AAP and the Congress join forces, they could give a tough fight to the BJP. But the feeling within the Congress, at least in the Sandeep Dikshit-Ajay Maken camp, is that the Congress has a better chance if it goes alone. Going in tandem with AAP could damage the party’s chances, they feel.

However, the Congress high command seems to be not sharing the views of the AAP critics within the party. Rahul Gandhi is said to be for a tie-up with the AAP in order to project the optics of Opposition unity at the national level and to give a tougher fight in 2024 to the BJP in Gujarat. So, despite hiccups like the Gundu Rao episode, the Congress-AAP relations will continue, if not cordially, at least not with hostility.



You might also like More from author