Headlines
'Rahul's resurgence signals willingness to take on mantle'
By
Trina JoshiNew Delhi, May 10
With a string of salvos fired
at the Modi government since his return from a sabbatical, a combative
Rahul Gandhi is being seen among his party leaders as a force behind
"turning the tide" for a Congress that is desperate to regain its
relevance vis-a-vis the country's realigned political equations.
While
the Gandhi scion's resurgence, say political analysts, is his attempt
to "assert" within the party his leadership that faced simmering
opposition, it is also a signal that he is willing to take on the
mantle.
H.K. Dua, former editor-turned-MP, said the Congress vice
president's elevation is not a distant reality and he was convinced he
will become the party chief "very soon".
"He is showing a lot of
energy in and outside parliament, and his leadership in the party is
certain. Irony, controlled aggression and a bit of humour, he is
displaying it all. The government is on the defensive on the farmers'
issue," Dua told IANS.
Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha said the return of his leader has infused a new lease of life in the party.
"The
party is buoyant and enthusiastic and going forward. Gandhi has turned
the tide completely. The Congress is communicative now," Jha told IANS.
Both
outside and inside parliament, Gandhi is piloting the party with
scathing attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his "suit-boot
sarkaar", the gibe by the Congress leader that triggered a "soojh-bhooj
ki sarkar" response from Finance Minister Arun Jaitely.
With a
kisan-mazdoor rally on April 19, Gandhi sprang into action with his
first intervention that focussed on the farming community, seeking to
highlight the agrarian crisis and the land acquisition bill that the
Congress described as "anti-farmer".
Taking the lead from
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, his mother, who toured parts of the
agrarian belt hit by the unseasonal rain and hailstorms, Rahul Gandhi
visited areas with a high suicide rate in the farming communities of
Punjab and Maharashtra to connect with agriculturists reeling under crop
failure.
"Rahul Gandhi was the ideological architect of this
movement for farmers when he began work in Niamgiri and Bhatta Parsull
(against land acquisition in 2011)," former National Student's Union of
India president Ragini Nayak told IANS.
Intent to escalate
pressure on the government, Gandhi also hit out at the amended real
estate bill as "pro-builder" and held talks with home buyers while also
raising his voice against "net neutrality" in a bid to tap into the
middle class.
Political commentator Aswini K. Ray said his
resurgence is "changing" the country's political equation, which is also
an indication that the mantle will change soon.
Ray, however,
added that "it is more of a signal to his partymen that shows his
willingness to advance to the leadership viz-a-viz his earlier
reluctance. He is now asserting his leadership more strongly and
clearly".
Describing him as the natural choice for party
president, senior Congress legislator Rita Bahuguna Joshi said Gandhi is
a "widely accepted leader" in the party who "automatically fits into
the profile" of its chief.
"There is a huge demand in the party
for him to take over. The transition will be very smooth as he already
knows the party, its organisation and the people," Joshi told IANS.
What about the questions raised over his leadership, including by his own party leaders?
"The party stands united under his leadership," Jha asserted.
Former
Delhi chief minister Shiela Dixit, for instance, was one of the senior
leaders who publicly demanded that Sonia Gandhi continue as party
president.
An informed source told IANS that a section of the senior leadership close to Sonia Gandhi was opposed to a change of guard.
"There
was opposition within the party, especially among a section of senior
leaders close to Mrs. Gandhi because a lot of them doubted his
leadership acumen. But the young blood sided with Rahul Gandhi. It had
become increasingly important for Rahul Gandhi to inspire confidence in
his leadership," the source said.
The 15-km 'padyatra' (foot
march) in Maharshtra's Vidarbha region was widely seen as a move to whip
up the spirits of party workers that drooped after successive reverses
in general elections as well as the assembly elections.
Gandhi is scheduled to undertake yet another 'padyatra' in Telangana on May 15.
(Trina Joshi can be contacted at [email protected])