Election after election and time after time it is very clear where the Indian National Congress is heading. From 200 plus seats in 2009, the party has dropped to a historic low in the current Lok Sabha tally. And after this ominous performance, nothing really has changed on the ground. Heads should have rolled, questions should have been raised and introspection was a must. What we are witnessing is a completely different picture. The party has adhered to the same leadership which pushed it into a debacle and the recipe for a disaster is still ensuing.
2014 proved it was not an aberration. The Congress party has slipped down further and barring Punjab it was virtually defeated everywhere. The party high command seems nominal, leaders like Digvijay Singh and Kapil Sibal seems to have disappeared and the morale at the grass roots and cadre level is at an all time low. So much so that a by poll win in Gurudaspur is touted funnily as a comeback by the Congress. In the midst of it all, the foolhardiness of the top leadership of the grand old party still continues.
It’s not the first time; the prince has made a joke of himself. On the contrary, when Rahul Gandhi tore the ordinance of the erstwhile UPA govt in full media glare, it was symbolic of him being an impending disaster. And this has been reiterated time and time again. Rahul Gandhi has been virtually running the party and now is on the verge of an elevation.
According to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi and certain section of AICC, Rahul’s coronation as the head of the party is just a matter of time. Will that instill enthusiasm in the party cadre or has the Congress signaled its impending doomsday scenario?
It has been almost a decade in politics and Rahul Gandhi has come a long or wrong way.
Below are the reasons as to why he is completely unfit to lead and may in fact create ripples rather than joy in the party.
Firstly, Rahul Gandhi has still not matured. His comments have remained the same. On the contrary, there are verbal diarrheas in a new brand bottle. A jibe such as ‘suit boot ki sarkar’ has no takers now. And unfortunately there has not being a subtle realization of the same. Gone are the days where sloganeering by the Congress used to draw crowds. Now they cater to empty stands and the Gandhi scion needs more than just these rants to project him as an effective leader. There never has been a proper articulation by Rahul Gandhi on policies like demonetization or the GST. His speeches are full of rhetoric material designed to just take potshots.
Secondly, it’s the record of governance. Rahul Gandhi may have been pampered as a future leader in his own party but he has no prior experience of running an administration. Narendra Modi was the CM of Gujarat for 12 years and has a distinct record in governance and administration. Rahul Gandhi has no such record and when pitted against PM Modi himself, the self attained image goes rock bottom in the form of a pygmy. Comparisons will be drawn and this is where a Congress President in the form of Rahul will fail to connect. Forget about becoming the PM, his own track record in Amethi is abysmal and even top Congress leaders in his own constituency have deserted the party. Next elections, even retaining Amethi will be a tough nut to crack for Rahul Gandhi.
Thirdly, along with governance, PM Modi is gifted in tune with his orator ship. As a matter of fact this is PM Modi’s strongest area and Rahul Gandhi’s weakest. Those dwindling crowds are a testimony for the same. Rahul has not yet attained those means, methods and skills to instil confidence in the crowds. His speeches have drawn laughter and the lack of seriousness in the same has profound ramifications. This will fail even to infuse enthusiasm in his own party men and it is a sign of worry. Indira Gandhi may have pushed the nation in to the darkest days of emergency but she had an aura to spring back which her grandson is unceremoniously lacking.
Fourthly, Rahul Gandhi’s anointment will annoy the old guard of the party. They may have been better leaders waiting in the wings and this may cause defections or a split in party ranks. There is no doubt that Gandhis have always been ceremoniously showered with all the attention in the past. But Rahul Gandhi is the weakest of them all not only in terms of the disarray he has inherited of the Congress party.
5. Congress is also a sinking ship.
Veterans like SM Khrishna or regional factotums like Narayan Rane or even active politicos like Rita Bahuguna Joshi have left with more in the offing. If Rahul Gandhi gets appointed as the President, it may accelerate the process of leaders leaving the party for good. Rahul does not have that ability to keep the flock together and this is also attributed to the coterie that is surrounding him. His advisors, his speech writers or his political gurus do not seem to be bothered to enhance his image.
With so many barbs being hurled at the PM, a formidable Congress leader may have helped the party gain. Even a Sachin Pilot or Jyotiradtitya Scindia may have done a better job. Unfortunately, internal democracy in the Congress party has always hovered around the Gandhi family and the dynasty. Its Lok Sabha tally was enough to shed this dependence on one family and truly emerge as a democratic party. If Rahul becomes the next Congress President, so he will be the next PM candidate as said by Moily. This will infuse the BJP cadre with more confidence that 2019 will be a mere cakewalk rather than a slugfest.
The hundred year old party had a terrific opportunity to undergo reforms within it to emerge as a challenge to PM Modi and the domination of political landscape by the BJP. What we are seeing is an apparent suicide and it’s a matter of time before the tally plummets further and the organization ceases to exist as a national entity.
