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Repeated parliamentary disruptions have failed to yield electoral gains, making a strategic rethink imperative.

Since the formation of the 18th Lok Sabha, the political approach of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has been difficult to fathom. Over the past two years, Rahul Gandhi has managed to stay in the headlines by disrupting almost every parliamentary session, yet the party has not reaped any political benefit from this. The party suffered crushing defeats in every state— except Kerala—even though elections were held in a dozen states. It so happened that whenever a parliamentary session was convened, elections in one state or another were imminent. This time, elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur are scheduled for the end of the year. Rahul Gandhi adopted a strategy of disruption right from the inaugural session of the 18th Lok Sabha.

The opposition harboured hopes that the coalition government would not last long; consequently, under Rahul’s leadership, the opposition created constant disruptions—ranging from the swearing-in of MPs to the debate on the President’s Address. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forced to speak amidst the uproar on several occasions. The events of 2025 and the recent budget session are no secret; during this year’s budget session, PM Modi could not even deliver a speech in the Lok Sabha. It was the first time in the history of Parliament that a Prime Minister did not address the Lok Sabha. There was a fear that women might attack the PM. Looking at state elections following the formation of the 18th Lok Sabha, the Congress party’s losing streak began with the Haryana elections, followed by defeats in Maharashtra and Delhi. Last year’s monsoon session was stalled over issues like vote theft and the SIR matter. Despite aggressively raising these issues, the BJP secured a massive victory in Bihar. Following these consecutive defeats, the INDIA bloc disintegrated. Despite consecutive defeats, Rahul Gandhi did not alter his strategy; he persisted with a strategy of disruption during this year’s budget session as well.

The uproar during the session began over the Finance Minister’s speech, and Rahul Gandhi also created a commotion regarding General Naravane’s book. The Congress and the opposition politicized issues like ‘Operation Sindoor’ and attempted to corner the government over the American deal, though the agreement itself stalled. PM Modi focused more on the elections in five states than on the parliamentary disruptions; anticipating the polls, he introduced a bill to amend the Women’s Reservation Act as a strategic test.

The opposition fell into the trap; although the bill failed to pass, the government succeeded in portraying the opposition as anti-women. The BJP cornered the opposition by staging protests across the country. Following the Budget Session, elections were held in five states—West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu. The Congress managed a comeback in Kerala after ten years but faced defeat elsewhere. In West Bengal, the BJP achieved a massive victory, leaving the opposition in shock; a party like the TMC fractured, and the entire political landscape of Maharashtra shifted. The weakening of the Congress triggered a scramble among its alliance partners.

It was expected that the opposition would be on the defensive during the monsoon session; however, a lathi-charge during a protest by the ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ over the paper leak issue gave the opposition another opportunity to create an uproar. The Congress had already been agitating against the paper leak, with its youth wing running nationwide campaigns that were failing to gain traction, leading to frustration within the party. Following the lathi-charge, Rahul Gandhi attempted to amplify the issue; much like the ‘vote theft’ narrative, he is now targeting the government in an effort to send a message to the youth.