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| Rahul Gandhi's name still in currency | | |
BL KAK
NEW DELHI, May 19
Despite his failure to boost Congress party's fortunes in the pivotal State of Uttar Pradesh (UP) during the recent Assembly polls, Rahul Gandhi, scion of India's famed political dynasty, is still a future Indian leader. Rahul insisted throughout the UP campaign that he was in the State for the ‘long haul’ to play down expectations he may be simply using it as a springboard
The Congress limped to a distant fourth place in last weekend’s elections in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous State, despite a high-profile campaign spearheaded by the 37-year-old parliamentarian son of Sonia Gandhi. “Rahul’s name is (still) in currency as a future potential Prime Minister”, party spokesman, Abhishek Singhvi, insisted after the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo, Mayawati, became the new Chief Minister of UP.
Singhvi has also forecast that Rahul Gandhi's future is “bright” and the party “expects much from his leadership". Party leaders were initially reluctant for Rahul to take a big campaign role for fear the Harvard-educated consultant-- whose father, grandmother and great grandfather were all Prime Ministers of India-- would be tarred with a “loser” image. But analysts believe the telegenic Rahul’s profile was in fact enhanced by the campaign and the result reflected the shambles of the local party’s organisation, rather than any personal failings.
“You can’t judge him by the number of seats”, said Parsa Venkateshwar Rao, a political columnist at Mumbai’s DNA newspaper. “He has become the new face of the party-- the party can at least say ‘we are presenting you' with a new generation." Congress’s tally fell to 22 seats from 25 in 2002 out of a total 403, in UP of 170 million people, that was dominated by the Gandhi family up to 1989.
Power was taken by the regional Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), led by Mayawati, from the Dalit-- or once ‘untouchable’-- class who brought together a rainbow coalition of low caste, high caste and Muslim voters. Surveys had forecast before the elections that Congress would be lucky to hang on to its existing seats in the Hindi-speaking heartland State. For Rahul it was a great learning experience. Competent analysts say that he is going to gain from that experience. He is definitely bound to be a Prime Ministerial candidate, says independent political analyst and author, Satish Jacob.
There is no denying that Rahul Gandhi unabashedly reminded voters of his Prime Ministerial lineage in an attempt to woo them, a pitch which ultimately failed despite euphoric receptions at some campaign stops. On Wednesday (May 16), he conceded “what basically happened is that we don’t have an organisation there and we have to build that”. Congress’s lone consolation was that main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also fared badly. The results were a portent of the tough fight looming for Congress and the BJP to wrest votes in the 2009 parliamentary election in which regional parties are seen playing a much greater role.
Mayawati’s win, which allowed her to form the first majority government in Uttar Pradesh in 14 years, was a very serious warning to both parties. Congress cannot, and should not, go back to the glories of yesteryear. Ironically, Congress scored some of its best poll results where Rahul’s 35-year-old sister, Priyanka, campaigned-- a fact played up by India’s media. Priyanka is viewed as the more naturally politically gifted with an ability to connect with voters and is the image of her strong-featured grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
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