A fratricidal war? Now Chidambaram comes under fire from Rahul loyalists

A fratricidal war appears to be simmering within the Congress party, with veteran leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram coming under sharp attack from a political lightweight — Udit Raj — whose comments have been enthusiastically amplified by leaders close to Rahul Gandhi. Notably, Raj’s personal criticism follows Rahul Gandhi’s own displeasure at the inclusion of party MP Shashi Tharoor in official outreach delegations representing India’s case against cross-border terrorism.

Chidambaram had recently remarked that the INDIA bloc, originally envisaged as a viable counterweight to the BJP-led NDA, was currently weak and lacked coherence when compared to the “formidable” ruling coalition. In response, Udit Raj delivered a stinging, somewhat personal, rebuke of the senior leader who has held key portfolios under successive Congress governments.

“The party has given him a lot. He and his son are MPs. He should focus on dialogue and strengthening the party. He has played a huge role. It’s easy to criticise, but he can contribute much more,” Raj said in an interview with PTI TV. His comments were reposted on X by senior Congress figures, including Jairam Ramesh, a known Rahul Gandhi loyalist.

While acknowledging the strength of the BJP, Chidambaram had expressed serious doubts about the Opposition alliance’s ability to present a unified front. Speaking at the recent launch of a book co-authored by Salman Khurshid and Mrityunjay Singh Yadav, he stated that he did not consider the INDIA bloc’s future particularly promising.

“The future of the INDIA bloc is not so bright, as Mrityunjay Singh Yadav said. He seems to believe the alliance is still intact, but I’m not sure. Only Salman [Khurshid], who was part of the negotiating team, can really say. If the alliance is fully intact, I would be very happy. But to me, it appears frayed at the seams,” Chidambaram remarked.

The former finance minister further warned that the INDIA bloc was up against an unprecedented political force.

“In my experience and from my reading of history, there has never been a political party as formidably organised as the BJP. It is not just another party — it’s a machine behind a machine, and together they control all the machinery in India,” he said.

“From the Election Commission to the smallest police station, they [the BJP] are able to influence, and at times capture, these institutions. It’s a formidable apparatus — as much as is permitted within a democracy,” he added.

What is further worrying for many within the Opposition — especially in the Congress — is the party’s seeming inability to align itself with the prevailing public sentiment following Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks and the Modi government’s perceived success in dismantling Pakistan’s jihadist infrastructure and military capabilities during the four-day Operation Sindoor.

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