Exactly a year ago, when Congress president Sonia Gandhi hosted an Iftar party at the Ashoka Hotel here, a little over a month after her party was routed in the elections, the Convention Hall — the venue — was embarrassingly empty. But on Monday evening, a year into the Modi government, as the scandals pile up, Ms. Gandhi’s annual Iftar dinner saw a full house, reflecting a distinct change in mood.
Not only had the Congress itself turned out in full strength, representatives of nine Opposition parties showed up, sending out the message of broad Opposition unity that had been hoped for by the host. Especially as the occasion came just a week before the monsoon session of Parliament commences.
But there was a second message — of the beginning of a power shift in the Congress.
For, of the three central tables, hosted by Rahul Gandhi, Ms. Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh respectively, it was the one at which the young Congress vice-president was seated that was encircled almost all through the evening both by journalists and Congressmen, many of whom wanted selfies with their young leader. Ms. Gandhi’s table was relatively quiet.
Mr. Gandhi was flanked by the National Conference’s Omar Abdullah and the DMK’s Kanimozhi. Also seated at this table were JD (U) leaders Sharad Yadav and K. C. Tyagi. At Ms. Gandhi’s table were seated the Nationalist Congress Party’s Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, and seated on her left and right were Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and the Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’ Brien. The Bahujan Samaj Party’s Satish Mishra and the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Prem Chand Gupta and JP Yadav were at Dr. Singh’s table.
Other Opposition leaders who were present included D.P. Tripathi (NCP), Danish Ali ( Janata Dal-Secular) and Mohammad Salim (CPI-M)). Only the Samajwadi Party and the CPI which had also been invited did not show up.
As the guests tucked into their biryani and grilled fish, the hosts were clear: they did not want to discuss politics at this feast after a fast. Mr. Gandhi, badgered by journalists, said he would probably speak on the issue of corruption in Parliament, but he eventually packed them off saying he wished to devote his time to his guests.
