Questions for Congress After Expert Panel Clears Adani Group: An Analysis

In light of the recent clean chit given to the Adani Group by a Supreme Court-appointed expert panel, several important questions have arisen for the Congress party. In this analysis, we will explore these questions and their implications for the grand old party.

The Adani Group, a prominent conglomerate in India, has been under scrutiny for its business practices and alleged favoritism by the government. However, an expert panel comprising of prominent personalities has now cleared the group of any wrongdoing, raising significant questions for the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi.

Question 1: Political Strategy

One key question for Congress is how it will adjust its political strategy following the expert panel’s decision. The allegations against the Adani Group were a significant component of the party’s attack on the government’s credibility. For many years, Rahul Gandhi’s every second speech has been focused on targeting Adani and its purported ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Hindenburg Report was shot in the arm for Gandhi and the Congress Party. It spotted a chance to go after the government.

With the clean chit, Congress needs to reassess its narrative and find alternative avenues to criticize the ruling party effectively.

Price increases, unemployment, a lack of job possibilities, and a stagnant economy are all real concerns for the average person. Congress should prioritize these issues over a political witch hunt targeting certain corporate entities.

Question 2: Alliance Building

The Congress has been attempting to forge alliances with regional parties to strengthen its position and challenge the ruling party. However, with the Adani Group’s exoneration, the party needs to evaluate whether its anti-Adani stance will weaken its alliance-building efforts.

Soon after the Hindenburg row, the Nationalist Congress Party head Sharad Pawar, (NCP) did not agree with the Opposition parties’ demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation into the claims levelled in the Hindenburg Research report.

Pawar had come out strongly in support of businessman Gautam Adani’s group in an interview with NDTV. Criticizing the narrative around the Hindenburg report and the conglomerate, he had said the issue was given “out of proportion importance.”

EvenWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is no more part of the anti-Adani brigade. “Politics is something different, Industry is something different. If you want to grow, you have to involve all,” she had said at the India Today Conclave in 2022.

Therefore, Congress must strike a balance between addressing its core concerns and maintaining harmonious relationships with potential partners.

Question 3: Credibility and Fact-Checking

The expert panel’s verdict raises questions about the Congress party’s credibility and fact-checking processes. While it is natural for political parties to raise concerns and demand accountability, it is crucial to ensure that the allegations are based on verified information. Congress must introspect and strengthen its internal mechanisms for gathering and validating facts to maintain its credibility.

In the case of Rafale deal-related allegations, Congress and Rahul Gandhi had suffered a big embarrassment. In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that there was no need for a probe in the arms deal. The adverse court verdict had burst the hot air balloon Congress and RG had so painstakingly created around Rafale. Gandhi had to tender an unconditional apology to the Court for wrongly linking its Rafale case order to his “chowkidar chorhai” phrase against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Therefore, Congress must stop building political campaigns on the basis of unverified or worse wrong facts.

Question 4: Policy Focus

The Congress party must determine its policy focus in light of the Adani Group’s clearance. It should consider redirecting its attention toward other pressing issues and policy matters that resonate with the public. By shifting its focus to areas where it can effectively challenge the government, the party can maintain its relevance and connect with the electorate.

The expert panel’s clean chit to the Adani Group has posed important questions for the Congress party. It needs to reassess its political strategy, adapt its alliance-building efforts, strengthen its fact-checking mechanisms, and redefine its policy focus. By addressing these questions strategically, Congress can navigate the changing landscape and present a formidable opposition to the ruling party.