India: Rahul Gandhi Reinstated as MP
The Facts
India's senior opposition leader Rahul Gandhi returned to Parliament on Monday, after India's Supreme Court overturned his disqualification as a member of Parliament last week.
On Friday, Gandhi's status as an MP — which he lost in March — was restored after the top court suspended his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case over remarks he made about the PM Narendra Modi's surname.
The Spin
Narrative A
Gandhi's return to Parliament must be celebrated above all as a victory for truth, mainly as a marks the exposure of a backfiring conspiracy being peddled by the ruling party. Since his suspension, a once fractured opposition has joined efforts to form a strong camp to challenge the BJP in the upcoming general elections.
Narrative B
Though India's opposition figures have called Gandhi's reinstatement another big win ahead of the 2024 elections, it's uncertain what the political consequences will be for the INDIA alliance. While his Congress Party wants a Modi-Gandhi battle for the premiership, many parties within the coalition would reportedly be more comfortable unifying if Gandhi remained suspended.