Political Diary

New Delhi, 3 November 2012

Political Diary Rahul In Forefront

IS POLITICS PLACE FOR NICE GUY?

By Poonam I Kaushish

In the placid and tranquil environs of political Delhi, three vexatious questions have got the Congress in frenzy and are furiously being debated in hushed tones. Will he, or won’t he?  And, if he does when? Will he be the Party’s Dhoni and lead it to victory or remain ‘work in progress’? Silly, no guesses of course the query is addressed to R-reformist, A-accomplished, H-honest, U-upcoming, L-leadership: Rahul. Who they hope will take Mera Bharat Mahan aage! Sic.

Obviously, these issues stem from the Party High Command’s two unusual decisions to invite all office-bearers from Block Presidents, MPs and MLAs to Union Ministers and Chief Ministers to last Sunday’s rally. Alongside, hold a daylong “informal” samvad baithak attended by CWC members, Cabinet and Ministers of State with independent charge on Friday at Surajkund. Raising expectations that both meets are to Project Rahul Gandhi as Number Two.

This might be the benchmark to project him, but on the field Rahul might not have an easy ride. Bereft of leaders, who comprehend reality, the Congress is today saddled with small time netas who at best can come up with tokenism and “me-tooism”.

What to speak of withering of internal democracy which has made the Party hopelessly dependent on initiative from the Congress President and tragically immobile in its absence. Indeed, the Party has become a prisoner of the highly personalized, even feudal, functioning and outlook.  Only those who serve loyalty flourish in the “nomination culture”.

Undeniably, Rahul is a nice guy on whom Gen Next girls swoon for his dimpled handsome looks. Just like our generation did vis-à-vis his father Rajiv. A biba munda (decent boy), who any girl could proudly take home to her parents for marriage approval. But the moot point is: In the dirty cesspool of politics and Congress sychophancy, is there any place for a nice guy?

Said a senior Cabinet Minister, “Rahul is sincere, is sharply focused and strongly believes in deliverance and output.” But is this enough?  Given that he will face a complex situation while establishing his status. The darbari culture, which Rahul seems allergic to, can't be genuinely replaced without his own credentials coming under scrutiny.

Fingers are crossed that he would brush under the carpet all the Party’s misdemeanours, scandals which continue to pop up like the proverbial bad penny, leaving the Party more deflated than ever. Provide a new direction, sense of consolidation and organizational renewal. As the Union Cabinet rejig underscores it is the day of Gen Next leaders, headed by Rahul, who are willing to assert and call a spade a spade.  

Importantly, he needs to find answers to why the Congress become so weak in the Hindi heartland? What should be the mantra to re-charge the Party apparatus in north India? True, the maa-beta duo Sonia and Rahul both are making a forceful pitch for waging a “long and forceful war to recover ground in the Hindu heartland”.

Realizing that they would be trapped in the quagmire of playing second fiddle to regional players unless they get their act together in the crucial States of UP, Bihar and MP which account for nearly 200 Lok Sabha seats.  Both have made no bones about the fact that they are no longer satisfied with the Party’s space in coalition politics and extol cadres to take “commanding heights of politics again”.

Undoubtedly both diagnose the problem but cannot come up with convincing answers to galvanize the units. Specially, against the backdrop of the Party’s shrinking vote nation-wide and strike a balance between its stand on alliances and coalitions and the need to expand its organization and social base in the States ruled by allies or Opposition parties.

In Andhra Pradesh, the TRS is up in arms against the Grand Dame for its refusal to take any steps for the creation of a separate state of Telangana. In Maharashtra, the Congress is engaged in a behind-the scenes feud with the NCP and might  decide to go it alone there and Tamil Nadu.

Rahul has made plain his anathema for coalitions. As his exercise in UP showed he prefers to fight it over the long haul rather than take short cuts to power. Add to this the experience of UPA1 and UPA II which saw allies pulling in various direction thereby stymieing economic measures

Already Mamata’s Trinimool has broken ranks over FDI. DMK Karunanidhi is bidding his turn to get even for his daughter Kanimozhi being jailed in the 2G telecom scam for taking an unsecure loan of Rs 200 crores. Why hasn’t the same treatment been meted to Sonia’s son-in-law Vadra who too got an unsecured loan of Rs 58 crores? Ask DMK leaders.

Also, with rising prices and sky-rocketing inflation the aam aadmi is angry.  Moreover, three years of the Congress-dominated UPA rule does not have enough achievements to catch the popular imagination on which Rahul Gandhi can have a safe ride. Of course, the Prime Minister's Office would blame it on lack of publicity by the Party machinery, but the fact remains that Congressmen are impatient and directionless

Congress managers claim that, notwithstanding the debacle in the UP Assembly elections, Rahul remains unscathed. Of course, it's equally true that the Party doesn't have any other option and precisely because of this, the Congress's young brigade is setting its eyes and pinning its hopes on Rahul Gandhi.

“We don't need any more credentials beyond the Gandhi surname but, surely, we want action. The problem with Rahulji is that he is not accessible. He is depending too much on a couple of his assistants and computer print-outs. That reminds us of R K Dhawan and M L Fotedar (Rahul's grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's confidants]). It is worrying us.”

In the final analysis, the Congress has to look inward urgently and do some serious thinking to grapple with the internal contradictions and work towards intra-Party and Party-Government harmony to ensure the stability and effectiveness of the Manmohan Singh Government. The added advantage is that the BJP too is a divided house with its President Gadkari smeared by serious corruption charges.

All this is very well but in a moribund Party with old entrenched war horses it will be a while before Rahul would find his place in the Congress sun notwithstanding the sycophancy which goes with his dynastic status. His s ardent supporters assert he has to get rid of the  negative tag of being a ‘reluctant leader’.

Thus, in its comatose state many wonder how the Party hopes to return to power at the Centre in the next election. It can no longer play out the 3 Idiots charade, “All is well.” Questionably, will Rahul be able to provide a new disha and a fresh sandesh?  Rahul on his part has to answer one simple question: chalna hai to kahan? ----INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)