New Delhi, May 16
A two-pronged strategy adopted by Rahul Gandhi has worked wonders for the revival of the Congress in UP and placed him on a higher pedestal within the party. He has definitely graduated into a shrewd strategist while emerging from his mother’s shadow.
This is a huge transformation for the man who was uncharitably called the “probationer” in politics by his rivals.
It was part of Rahul Gandhi’s two-pronged strategy of handpicking youth and putting them in the fray in several constituencies across the country that paid off rich dividends. Secondly, It was he, who had asserted that Congress should go solo in UP and Bihar while annoying prospective partners like Mulayam Singh and Lalu Yadav.
In hindsight, it can be said his moves were lapped up by voters. In UP, where the party faced a drubbing since the Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992, this is a turnaround. It was like UP was waiting for the Congress to re-assert. The Muslims clearly dumped Mulayam Singh.
Inducting youth was seen as a follow-up of his father Rajiv Gandhi’s initiative in 1980s when he had started rebuilding his own team after Indira Gandhi died in 1984. For instance, candidates chosen by him like Ravneet Singh Bittu and Vijay Inder Singla won in Punjab. So did Manik Tagore, who stunned MDMK boss Vaiko in Tamil Nadu. Another Rahul nominee, scion of the Alwar royal family Jitendra Singh also won. Today, Rahul, while talking to the media, called for unleashing the energy of the youngsters and promised that “this was beginning of the new things in UP”.
Rahul’s strategy started working at the time of ticket distribution as he spoke about youth power. His gentle nature and penchant for facts and figures coupled with the habit of “stirring” the political cauldron in his own unconventional fashion made him the media poster boy. Rahul attacked the Left parties by calling them “retrograde”. He took on Rajnath Singh when he called Rahul a “bachcha” and reminded the BJP chief that India has more people of his ( Rahul’s) age rather than Rajnath’s age. He played the game of words with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former Andhra Pradesh CM Chandra Babu Naidu. It raised a hue and cry across the political spectrum. It is possible that the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family deliberately wanted to stir the political cauldron.
His straight talk unlike those of seasoned politicians was like words of the modern generation. From now on he is more than just Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi’s son and a natural heir to the “throne”.
Senior party leaders have been quick to lavish praise on the 39-year-old Rahul Gandhi. It was Rahul who addressed 106 rallies touching some 230-odd constituencies, point out his well-wishers.
