Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi means well. But the main problem confronting him is how he intends to deliver what he has to offer to the common man
What is that interests an Indian who is living abroad nowadaysIJ Well, interestingly, he appears to be obsessed with Indian politics and the future of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Will he marryIJ Will the would-be bride be an IndianIJ It all is so complex and complicated when it comes to one of the most eligible bachelors in the country.
And now, of course, with the 2014 lok Sabha elections round the corner, the main question being asked is — will he be the Prime Ministerial candidate for the Congress. To be truthful, this is one question that the public back home also wants to know. But all they can say is — ‘we wish we knew’.
All eyes are trained on Rahul and what he will do next. To give him due credit, he has managed to keep himself in check with firm politeness. Everyone — whether in India or abroad — wants to know everything about him. Sadly, it all leads to a dead-end. All that one can say with conviction is that he has put together a team people who are busy with research, planning and calculations.
The team is putting together a paper on the complicated voting system in the country. The team has been studying voting patterns over decades and is trying to find answers hidden in it. The team has strategists and computer experts who have all facts and figures at the click of a button.
Unfortunately, the senior leaders don’t understand how fancy gizmos can get them any answers. So, there is a small disconnect. They are seasoned politicians who have fought elections several times. Their brain was the computer. Even today when they sit down to prepare for an election, they sit with paper maps and mark important things on that; they know their subject like the back of their hand. No one is more aware of the pluses and minuses in their areas. These leaders have all the numbers in their heads.
Rahul, in that sense, today has best of both the worlds. He has the senior politicians to guide him and fresh faces who can lead the party. He can pick and choose from the best of the best. But it is a difficult task. Who to take and who to discard. Rahul may have been born in a family of politicians but he is not a seasoned politician. Today, politeness and fair play has not place in politics. Rudeness and false allegations is what works to survive.
Meanwhile, the public has made it very clear that they will vote for the party which will deliver what has been promised. Anyone who can push through the corrupt bureaucracy and make things better will become a popular choice. Honesty is a major concern as well. With the media becoming active and behaving like detectives, no one can hide scandals and scams — big or small — from seeing the light of day.
But with Rahul’s new set of rules for the Congress, if adopted, will benefit the party. Rebels should not be given a second chance and those who jump parties should not be given preference over the party’s own grassroots worker. This will instill confidence in the workers who will then not want to leave the party and join another. In any party, it is the loyalists who matter. Rahul means well and has the right credentials. But the main question is — how will he deliver what he has to offer. To get the seniors and juniors to work in tandem without egos being hurt is another problem.