Given the country’s changing political scenario, old war horses must now hand over the reins to the next generation of leaders
What is common between Prince Charles, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader MK Stalin and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh BadalIJ They all are in the queue to take over from their parents, some eagerly and some reluctantly. Ninety-year old Queen Elizabeth has made Prince Charles wait for decades. Stalin too is facing the same problem — his 94-year old father Karunanidhi is still in the saddle. Prakash Singh Badal, father of Sukhbir Singh Badal, is still going strong at the age of 87.
Stalin is important in the context of Tamil Nadu politics. His fate will be known in the ensuing Assembly polls. Having made the DMK party his family fiefdom, Karunanidhi was not averse to anointing his son, but he does not want to upset the apple cart before the Assembly poll. Stalin’s supporters wanted him to be projected as the chief ministerial face but the old guard wanted Karunanidhi to stay in the lead. Also, Stalin is no match for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
Before the entry of elder brother MK Alagiri and half-sister Kanimozhi a decade ago, Stalin was the undisputed heir. Karunanidhi even made him Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 2009. However, family politics have blocked his rise. Alagiri and Kanimozhi are staking claim to their father’s legacy. Alagiri is still not in favour of Stalin, but Kanimozhi has patched up with him. So, Stalin has taken over the organisation despite family feuds.
The bitter truth is that for the DMK-Congress combine, it is a difficult task to come back to power. Jayalalithaa has surpassed the DMK by extending welfare programmes and freebies. All its traditional political planks for the Tamil cause have also been hijacked by Jayalalithaa.
Still, Stalin is trying his best to woo the electorate. He has been touring the State with his Namakku Naame road shows. He has hired a PR firm for an image make-over. In an attempt to woo the youth, who account for about 21 per cent of the electorate, Stalin is wearing trousers and shirts. He has also been active on social media. Making a shift from Dravidian ideology, he is visiting temples and participating in religious ceremonies.
Many are doubtful about the future of the DMK, post-Karunanidhi. The party may not remain intact. For more than six decades, Karunanidhi has been a key figure in Tamil Nadu politics, either as the Chief Minister or as the Opposition leader. He has survived other leaders like CN Annadurai and MG Ramachandran. Therefore, his stature is unquestionable. But his baton has to be handed over sooner than later.
In Delhi, reports said that Rahul Gandhi is all set to become the president of the Congress this year. This news has been making rounds for quite some time. Since 2013, when Rahul Gandhi became the vice president of the Congress, it was thought that he was only a step away from becoming Congress chief. Although Congress president Sonia Gandhi has taken a backseat, allowing a free hand to her son, Rahul Gandhi is still not in the lead. The four States and one Union Territory, which are going to polls this year, will not only be a test for him but a miracle for the Congress if it can retain even one of the two States where it rules.
There is a leadership crisis in the grand old party. The dual power centre experiment has created confusion. The old guard is apprehensive and is clinging to Sonia Gandhi. The Congress also does not have second-rung leaders.
As for Sukhbir Badal, he is practically the boss, both in the Government and in the party, though his father is still electorally relevant. It is expected that the senior Badal will be the chief ministerial candidate in 2017, and he will be more than a match for Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh. He is also the glue that is keeping together the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance.
In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party is making inroads, and Sukhbir Badal does not have the same relationship with the BJP as his father does. The old war horses should realise that the time has come for them to hand over the reins. They will be out of step with the electorate if they fail to do so.