This refers to the news report, “Miffed as old guard holds fort, Rahul leaves for chintan” (February 24). Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has been a reluctant politician and an uninterested parliamentarian. Success and failures are part of politics; but the intent to work for the party is important. This the Congress scion is lacking.
Politics is a full-time occupation, and there are no breaks for a busy politician. Mr Gandhi’s ‘vanishing act’ is well known — he was missing in action during the party’s foundation day. Though the Congress has been reduced to a non-entity in the lok Sabha, it had the chance to catch the Government on the wrong foot at a crucial phase in the NDA’s governance.
Mr Gandhi’s inability to gel with the old guard cannot be a reason to run away from the thick of things. The question remains if the rank and file of the party is willing to work under an uncommunicative leader. The party high command should quickly decide on the role of Mr Gandhi, if it wants to arrest its nose-diving fortunes.