The days of identity politics are not over, and he can even learn the art of social engineering from United States President Barack Obama. He must be seen as a no-nonsense politician. Rahul needs an immediate image makeover.Any drastic policy change will further antagonise the party’s traditional vote bank. The party cannot regain its lost glory without winning back the backward classes, Dalits and tribals, especially in the Hindi heartland.However, the Hindutva poster boy has superbly projected himself as the “ messiah” of “development”. In Bihar, too, Rahul proved to be a dampener. He has failed as a strategist, which was visible during 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls where he campaigned aggressively. Rahul has a number of failures in his political career and has been at the receiving end, not only from the Opposition but even United Progressive Alliance (UPA’s) allies. Modi has proved to be an able administrator. He still seems somehow stuck in the image of a youth leader discovering India rather than one ready to lead it. Rahul faces a potential adversary in Narendra Modi - should the saffron party project him as its prime ministerial candidate.Rahul must showcase some big-bang punitive actions against the corrupt. The refusal of the party and the government to acknowledge this fact has been made worse by their arrogance towards the common citizenry. The corruption that has reached the highest levels in the Congress surely belongs to a bigger league.Congress workers want political heavyweights to lead the party in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and many other states. The 42-year-old leader has to establish a disconnect between the party’s old-school outlook and the larger aspirations of today’s assertive youth force.With general elections about a year -or maybe a little more -away, will India take the mother-son duo’s rhetoric seriously? His powerful surname and relative youth make him the Congress’ main hope for elections in 2014.īusiness Standard takes off the blinkers and shows Rahul Gandhi the bumpy road ahead. Here is a classic example: Congress boss Sonia Gandhi’s call to end nepotism from the same stage on which her son was crowned a day earlier. The Congress is still directionless in policy matters.
This requires a change of mindset, not the system.Īt present, India’s oldest political party has nothing credible and convincing to offer the people of the country. The cold rationality of economic reforms can be connected to the emotions of the people. There is no effort made to persuade the people of India, especially those in rural areas, that economic reforms will also bring to them welfare - that wealth-making can be every Indian’s dream. A handful of senior leaders in the Congress is convinced that reforms can bring forth electoral gains. The biggest problem of the Congress is: it is once reformist, but twice shy. Rahul concluded his speech by saying, “For me, the Congress Party is now my life.” It obliquely admits the worries expressed earlier about Rahul having made up his mind to be in public life.
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