The ongoing war of words between Rahul Gandhi the heir apparent of the Congress Party and Narendra Modi of the BJP inspires no one. None of them are talking of the larger vision they have for this country. None so far has laid out a road map for development post 2014. We can understand why it might be difficult for the Congress scion to admit that things are not going too well for this country on account of wrong policies of the UPA but surely Narendra Modi who is projecting himself as the next prime minister should be able to go beyond the Congress-Gandhi bashing. The country is waiting and watching these developments and trying to decide who to repose their faith on in the general elections scheduled for May next year but they see only chaos and incoherence. Even the possibility of a third front emerging does not seem probable since we hear of no such tangible conglomerate.
At no juncture of history has India been in such a predicament as far as political options are concerned. Normally the alternatives emerge well ahead of time. Now they only confuse and complicate. Each time Rahul Gandhi speaks he seems to offend some group or the other because the politically incorrect stances he takes, some of which border on immaturity. Many genuinely wonder if they can repose their faith on a leader with an unpredictable mind. While thinking out of the box can be appreciated, political ramblings that lack substance and finesse expose the depth of maturity of Rahul Gandhi. And if it’s not Rahul Gandhi then who will lead the UPA in 2014? Can we wait interminably for the Congress to announce its prime ministerial candidate? And what if the mantle falls on this amateurish young man (at 43?) to lead this country and he does not have the wherewithal or the statesmanship to lead a country of 1.2 billion people whose economy is teetering? These are hard questions that people of this country are looking for but which do not seem important to the oldest political party entrenched in a dynastic mould. Seems like a rough road ahead for India after 2014!
