With India going into the first phase of elections today, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar has played a surprising move just before polling begins. In an interview given to India Today TV, yesterday he has indicated towards Congress chief Rahul Gandhi not being in the race to be the Prime Minister. He also added that Rahul is only focused on defeating the BJP and unseating the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When questioned on the party poised to form the government, Sharad Pawar hinted that after the elections, parties opposed to the NDA will be deciding on the next Prime Minister. Sharad Pawar also said Manmohan Singh had emerged as an acceptable face to the allies, this time also similar acceptable faces could surface to take on the Prime Minister’s post.
This statement from Sharad Pawar is surely not poised to go down well with Congress supporters, who are expecting to see Congress President Rahul Gandhi as the next Prime Minister. Rahul Gandhi has been campaigning throughout India with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Many Congress supporters believe that the NYAY scheme, which many economic experts have dubbed ‘economically infeasible’, will revive Rahul’s image from an childish dynast to a mature leader, who could go on to lead the nation from the top post. This move which many would believe is to undermine the Congress, might give air to a large number of self-declared Prime Ministerial candidates in the anti-NDA camp. Pawar also added that the next PM could be from Congress but also didn’t discard possibilities of the PM emerging from the parties allying with Congress. He also hinted that BJP might emerge as the single largest party but would fail to make up the numbers needed to form the Government.
However Sharad Pawar’s political mettle cannot be discarded just yet, this move to dispose off Rahul Gandhi as the future prime minister could also benefit electoral prospects of the anti-NDA camp. Rahul Gandhi’s image over the years has been continually deteriorating, whether it be numerous goof-ups on public platforms or non sensical speeches in election rallies. Rahul’s popularity among the voters as the PM candidate is swiftly eroding. Rahul Gandhi’s move to contest from Wayanad in Kerala has also not pleased Congress supporters who feel cheated and abandoned. In Amethi, considered the bastion of Gandhi family, Satish Tiwari, 35, resident of Saraibhagmani village in Gauriganj, has been voting for the Gandhi family ever since he got to his voting age. However, he says that he may vote for BJP’s candidate Smriti Irani this time. “I am hurt. Rahulji’s decision to opt for Wayanad is an insult to Amethi. We have always treated the Gandhis as family and they too have given us a similar impression. But, Wayanad makes it obvious that they are exploring options,” he says. Sharad Pawar’s move could help the opposition parties to consolidate all the anti-Rahul Gandhi votes back to its fold.
Further adding to speculations, in his surprising move, Sharad Pawar attacked the BJP and also questioned PM Modi’s recent attacks against Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. He said, “BJP’s campaign to project Rahul Gandhi as an incapable Leader is baseless propaganda and if Rahul Gandhi was so incapable then why does the prime Minister and other BJP leaders keep talking about him in their speeches?”
Sharad Pawar has been known for his shrewd political moves to convert floating narratives into solid electoral votes; however this move surely raises questions if it is aimed to undermine Congress chief Rahul Gandhi or to covertly help him.