So the Nehru-Gandhi scion is all set to become the President of the grand old party. If Rahul Gandhi is to be elevated to the post of Party President by stepping into the shoes of his mother Sonia Gandhi, then why is the word “election,” used at all? An election by definition is an activity where people are chosen from amongst a list of candidates. The electors choose a candidate who is most capable of carrying out a particular task; in this case leading a 132 year old political party. For quite a while Rahul Gandhi has worked as the Party’s Vice President and to his credit he has traversed the length and breadth of the country especially during state assembly elections. At the moment all eyes are turned towards his Gujarat campaign. The media reports his every movement, including which temple he visits and what he has written in the visitors’ book. To be in the media glare every second takes a toll even on someone who is impervious to the paparazzi. Interestingly Rahul Gandhi seemingly enjoys this limelight! But that’s about it! Rahul Gandhi’s speeches lack depth and substance. They are all targeted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA Government’s policies.
Wisecracks such as Gabbar Singh Tax for GST etc are just schadenfreude (benefitting from another’s trouble). They are not going to take the Congress Party too far. It has to spell out its own programmes and policies that will resonate with voters. Aligning with the likes of Hardik Patel and promising the Patidars of Gujarat the reservation they are seeking is an appeasement trap that the Congress is yet again falling into. The Party has been accused of appeasing minorities to the point of losing the support of Hindus, who in 2014, turned to the BJP. There has been no change whatsoever in the Congress Party’s stand so far. In fact the party is yet to emerge as an alternative to the BJP at the national level.
Whether Rahul Gandhi can actually lead the party to victory in 2019 remains the big question! And the baggage that the Congress carries as its cross, is its dependence on the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. As a result, some of the upcoming grassroots leaders with political acumen and educational credentials are stunted and not allowed to take charge of the party. How can the Congress even speak about democracy when it does not believe in inner-party democracy and the sanctity of elections? Sadly, not a single Congressman/woman dares file his/her nomination for the top job!