The Indian National Congress (INC) is hatching a plan to re-launch its 5th generation party dynast, Rahul Gandhi, to the throne of the President yet again, says a report by Economic Times.
The Gandhi-Nehru scion had resigned taking ‘moral responsibility’ after his party’s terrible performance in the second consecutive general elections in 2019.
Despite promising ₹72000 per year under the so-called NYAY scheme and weaving the imaginary tale of Rafale scam, the Congress Party failed to hold its ground in 2019 elections. After a harrowing defeat, the then President of the Congress, Rahul Gandhi, had tendered his resignation.
This was followed by drama, uncertainty over acceptance and rejection of his resignation letter. The party was already hung in the balance. For months at a stretch, the think tank could not come up with a successor, despite the presence of several young leaders in the party. Unable to come out of its inherent nepotism that holds the party together, Congress had finally declared Rahul’s mother Sonia Gandhi as its ‘interim president’.
Read: Rahul Gandhi and how the media has been making him ‘come of age’ for the past 10 years
To re-establish himself as a leader, Gandhi will reportedly begin an all- India tour, starting from Rajasthan, followed by Kerala, Jharkhand, Congress-ruled states and other poll-bound states. He will speak rural distress, unemployment woes and the alleged “failed promises” of the current political dispensation.
This new development has come to light in the backdrop of the change in the political climate. The orchestrated Anti-CAA protests held across India and the woes of a slowing economy must have renewed hope in the party dynast that it was the right time to strike the hot iron.
The ET report states that besides his own interest, the reluctance of party supremo Sonia Gandhi to hold on to the Presidential post has also made the Congress old guard rethink about Rahul Gandhi. Moreover, he faces stiff competition from his sister Priyanka Gandhi who is now being looked at as the “next big name” at the party.
AICC general secretary KC Venugopal has stated, “The party rank and file clearly wants Rahul Gandhi Ji to lead the Congress again. Though he is yet to respond, we are waiting for him to take that decision.”
The ET report, citing sources, has claimed that Rahul’s supporters are planning his ‘re-launch’ based on four trends:
- Opposition parties wrestling states away from BJP
- Rahul Gandhi showing a ‘renewed interest’ in the party’s decision-making process
- Sonia Gandhi’s multiple expressions of reluctance to lead the party
- Many supporters of Priyanka Gandhi starting to think that she may have a better future in the party and should, therefore, extend her work beyond Uttar Pradesh.
All four reasons and trends cited only reaffirm the growing concerns being expressed by political experts that Congress party is simply incapable of ditching the dynasts. Despite the presence of many experienced and capable leaders in the party, it is still fixated with its royal family.
