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Cong plays new hand, will it work?

Lying low for 11 months following its decimation in the Lok Sabha elections last May, the Congress is finally springing back to life both inside Parliament and outside.

Cong plays new hand, will it work?

Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul seem to be banking on a new strategy to take on the government and make the leadership change process easier. pti



By Aditi Tandon

Lying low for 11 months following its decimation in the Lok Sabha elections last May, the Congress is finally springing back to life both inside Parliament and outside.

At the heart of this visible psychological shift in the party is its more-than-before active president Sonia Gandhi and her newly-transformed son and heir apparent Rahul Gandhi, both working as a team to give the BJP government an “anti-poor” tag under a well-crafted Congress strategy for revival.

While Sonia at 68 is showing no signs of retiring (she led over the past month two political marches, one to Rashtrapati Bhavan to protest the Centre’s land ordinance and another to former PM Manmohan Singh’s house to back him after court summons in the coal blocks allocation scam), Rahul is carefully positioning himself to lead the Congress in the near future. Back recently from his eight-week introspection leave, the 44-year-old has been seen doing in the past few days things he has not done in 11 years of his political career, which began with his Lok Sabha win in Amethi in 2004.

He is talking much more in Parliament; engaging directly with his principal rival Prime Minister Narendra Modi; putting top ministers on the defensive with his sharp references to complex issues like the agrarian crisis; and smiling more at TV cameras than before.

If that was less, Rahul this week embarked on his first-ever Char Dham Yatra, covering in the first phase the holy shrine of Kedarnath in Uttarakhand. Trekking 20 km to the temple when he could have flown, he delivered to his right-wing rivals a powerful political message: He too is a practising Hindu.

Change inevitable in party?

A target of ridicule during his sabbatical, Rahul swept many a Congressman off their feet at the party’s April 19 Kisan rally where he launched a powerful attack on the Modi government for pushing an “anti-farmer” land ordinance.

“I don’t understand much of Hindi but I could feel the power of Rahul’s utterances. He spoke like a leader,” EVKS Elangovan, president, Tamil Nadu Congress, who attended the rally, says.

As Rahul took his offensive against Modi to the Lok Sabha calling the government a “suit-boot ki sarkar” and speaking twice in three working days of Parliament, the Congress as well as parties like the NCP and TMC stood up and noticed. The Gandhi scion’s resurgence was enough to fuel talks of his elevation as Congress president later this year when the party elects its chief as part of the five-yearly organisational elections.

Asked what he thought of the anti-Rahul sentiment recently articulated by former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit and ex-Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh, Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed (Punjab incharge) said, “Rahul’s return has reenergised the Congress. The sense of demoralisation that had set in has gone. We are now in a fighting mode and every Congress worker wants Rahul to become party president. Sonia Gandhi will decide the timing.”

This view finds resonance across the Congress with even seniors owing allegiance to Sonia now admitting to change being inevitable. Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, a diehard Sonia loyalist, says, “There is no doubt that Rahul will play a lead role in reinvigorating the party alongside Sonia Gandhi. His complete identification with the farmers and the marginalised heralds a new political offensive against the BJP government. Changes in the Congress organisation are now imminent and they will undoubtedly bear Rahul’s stamp.”

While the younger Congressmen and a section of veterans like general secretary Digvijay Singh have no doubts about Rahul’s elevation, some seniors do point out that Sonia hasn’t yet shown signs of retiring. “She is more active than before, clearing official files within hours; meeting more leaders than Rahul and leading from the front. Even at the Kisan rally, she spoke longer than Rahul and after him. She is nothing like a retiring leader,” says a former UPA minister.

But Congress insiders say Sonia’s activism also is part of her efforts to make the transition for Rahul smooth. “She has now been waiting for years for Rahul to take charge. The two share a perfect understanding. While the son wants the glory to forever shine on his mother, the mother wants just the same for her son. That’s the dilemma here,” says a leader close to the family.

Sonia this week for the first time gave a hint about a possible elevation of Rahul as Congress chief. “It is for Rahul to decide,” she said when asked when his promotion was due. If that happens, it would bring an end to Sonia’s reign as the longest serving Congress president. She took charge in 1998.

As for Rahul, he was made Congress vice-president in 2013 and led the party to its worst-ever LS performance of 44 seats while the BJP got its first absolute majority with 282. “But it’s nothing like the decimation the BJP has suffered in the past. In 1984 under Rajiv Gandhi, we won 412 seats and BJP two. In a democracy, we win some, lose some. But there’s always scope for return,” says a top Congress leader.

Signs of power shift 

Within the party, workers have already begun to sense a subtle shift of power. The other day when Rahul took on the Modi government over land ordinance in the Lok Sabha, Sonia was visibly absent from the House to allow her son his time in the sun. Later in the day, Congressmen spoke of how she beamed when leaders across parties complimented her for Rahul’s “performance”. He spoke twice in three days as against 10 times in 11 years since becoming MP in 2004.

“I have never seen her happier,” said a Congress leader who attended the party’s Lok Sabha MPs’ meet chaired by Sonia that evening. The meeting had Rahul in command as Sonia chaired. “For the first time Rahul was fully engaged on every subject of strategy. He was not in and out like before,” said an MP, indicating that Rahul was now shedding his reluctant politician image.

Rahul has already put in place a new communications team under Haryana legislator Randeep Singh Surjewala, who is the youngest head of Congress’ media unit which the likes of Pranab Mukherjee, Janardan Dwivedi and Ghulam Nabi Azad have headed in the past. He has the largest-ever team of spokespersons, comprising mostly young and Hindi-speaking leaders from across India.

“We are going for a big Hindi push and are doing on an average 24 TV debates a day. We are making sure we are heard,” says Surjewala, acknowledging a conscious image makeover of Congress communicators from urbane and English-speaking to rural and Hindi-speaking. “The idea is to counter Modi’s massive Hindi boost and the BJP’s powerful communications machinery. Surjewala’s challenge is equally to rejuvenate a weak Congress media team he inherited after the party failed to catch up with the BJP’s narrative in the run-up to LS polls in 2014,” says a senior Congress leader.

On Rahul’s elevation,  Surjewala says, “With Rahul forcefully engaging with Prime Minister Modi on issues like the anti-farmer land ordinance and net neutrality, there is a new spring in every Congressman’s feet, a new yearning to fight. Rahul Gandhi’s elevation is certain and will be decided as per the party Constitution and after a Congress Working Committee consultation.”

Old-timers recall how the CWC had prevailed on Sonia to assume reins of the Congress in 1998 after she had stayed away from politics following her husband and former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in 1991.

“The CWC in 1998 told Sonia that Rajiv had a dream of modern India and what she would do to realise it. That was when she agreed to become party president and led the Congress from three states to power in 14 states and a two-term central rule. She went straight to people, drawing her energy from them, and steered the Congress to 145 LS seats in 2004 elections as against BJP’s 138. In 2009, she led us to 206 seats while the BJP was down to 116 from 138,” says an old-timer.

Party’s revival plan

Going to the people and attacking the Narendra Modi government as pro-rich and anti-farmer are the pivots of Congress’ revival plan against the BJP, which is beginning to get worried.

In Rahul’s recent absence, Sonia assiduously nursed the perception that the government was ignoring interests of the poor, farmers and workers.  

“Congress’ main task today is to position itself as a credible Opposition, championing the cause of the people and the poor and exposing the lies of the Modi government,” says Anil Shastri, special invitee, CWC. 

The party’s conscious positioning alongside the poor and farmers hints at its long-term move towards left-of-the-centre policy — something a section of Congress leaders is wary about. “We would be best centrist rather than left-of-centre. India is at a take-off stage and we should not become slaves of a left-of-centre approach. Industry cannot be a bad word. We need careful calibration on positions,” a former UPA minister says.

But, for now, the party seems to have decided to use the land ordinance and agrarian stress to find its lost base. Gradually the Congress will flag the issue of the liberal Indian state coming under attack under the BJP government.

 Rahul, meanwhile, is the man of the moment. Though his aides say he is not working to look different, the impression going out is that he is. His Kedarnath visit is a case in point. As a top Congress leader says, “In Indian politics, one can’t discount the power of religion and symbolism. Such visits must continue.”

Rahul finally seems to be listening even as his advisers say there’s nothing new in his approach to politics except the idiom and the aggression. “He always spoke for the poor and is doing the same. Only he is now doing it in the language the Modi government understands. To be fair to Rahul, he is not someone who carries bitterness for rivals. His fight is ideological,” says someone close to Rahul, an ardent practitioner of Aikido, a Japanese martial arts form that teaches how to disarm the enemy without injury.

As for the future, Rahul is expected to launch his India travel to find Congress’ lost connect with people. That’s what his grandmother Indira Gandhi did when she was routed post Emergency, and mother Sonia in 1998.

Punjab, Haryana mess

Former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has challenged state unit president Partap Singh Bajwa’s continuation. Going to polls in 2017, Punjab is being widely viewed as Congress’ comeback state provided the party handles leadership issues deftly.

“Capt Amarinder’s popularity is widely acknowledged but it remains to be seen if he can be made state chief given his age and health. Sonia Gandhi’s will be the final call,” says a senior leader.

A third option is likely to emerge where the Congress is likely to name Capt Amarinder its CM nominee closer to polls.

In Haryana, differences between former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress chief Ashok Tanwar continue to hamper functioning of the state unit after the party was reduced to 15 seats in the 90-member Assembly from 40 in 2009.

State general secretary incharge Shakeel Ahmad says, “We are seized of the matter.” He says organisationally the Congress can gain ground since principal Jat rivals — Chautalas of INLD — recently joined the Janata Parivar. That explains Hooda’s assertion of Jat leadership in a state where the Congress continues to back an SC president in Tanwar.

Sonia Gandhi has now been waiting for years for Rahul to take charge. The two share a perfect understanding. While the son wants the glory to forever shine on his mother, the mother wants just the same for her son. That's the dilemma here
—Leader close to family, on how Sonia’s activism is aimed at making the transition for Rahul smooth

There was a perception in the run-up to LS polls that we had lost connect with the people. The Congress has always been a mass movement and we are going back to the people
—PC Chacko, Congress Gen Secy

We are going for a big Hindi push and are doing on an average 24 TV debates a day. We are making sure we are heard


—Randeep Singh Surjewala, head of congress media cell, on image makeover from urbane and english-speaking to rural and hindi-speaking


Crisis of leadership is party’s biggest challenge

The Congress suffered defeat not only in the Lok Sabha elections in May 2014, but  the following major states since the year before — Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi. The BJP on the other hand assumed reins of states where it was not even a player such as Haryana and J&K. 

Congress leaders agree that the crisis of leadership is their biggest challenge. “Congress in states is staring at political bankruptcy in terms of leadership. Rahul Gandhi must carefully nurture leaders just as Rajiv Gandhi did when he placed people like Ahmad Patel, Madhavrao Scindia, Rajesh Pilot, Oscar Fernandes, Bhupinder Singh Hooda in prominent positions, preparing them for the future. Equally, he must ensure a harmonious blend of experience and youthfulness. That is the model to strengthen the party in future,” says Ashwani Kumar.

Factionalism is another issue with leadership tussles marring its organisation in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Bihar and UP.

Congress watcher and historian Mridula Mukherjee, however, feels the current crisis of the party is not its worst. “The Congress has seen worse times. The issue of leadership is not a make or break issue for the party. Everyone knows a Gandhi will lead. The real issues are: What ideological path will the party follow? How will it organise itself to recapture popular imagination? What will be its counter to the BJP and what concerns will it voice to become a legitimate Opposition?”

Since the re-commencement of the Budget Session, says Mukherjee, the party has shown new energy and perspective. “It is no longer in the back seat as it was immediately after the LS debacle. The Congress would have to position itself alongside anti-BJP forces like the Janata Parivar to counter the saffron spread.”

Congress general secretary in charge of Bihar CP Joshi agrees, “Countering the BJP is our single-most important endeavour.” In the Bihar elections later this year, the Congress is likely to ally with the newly-formed Janata Parivar to prevent the division of secular vote. “If the experiment works, we can go with Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal. These are possibilities,” a top leader says. Equally, Sonia and Rahul would have to effect organisational changes to check factionalism and infuse fresh blood into the Congress. Some general secretaries of the party like Janardan Dwivedi (in charge of organisation) have been around for several years. Sonia’s political secretary Ahmad Patel has himself been around for 13 years though his skills as a “perfect executioner of Sonia’s command” are widely respected.

“At least 50 per cent incumbents must go just as leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri had to go as part of the Kamraj Plan of Congress rejuvenation years ago. They returned on merit,” says Anil Shastri, former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri’s son, adding that there’s nothing called the “old versus new guard” divide, only evolution.

The Gandhis and their Core Advisers

  • Sonia Gandhi: Works through a process of detailed deliberation and never acts under pressure — which explains why Capt Amarinder Singh’s pressure tactics through supporting state MLAs are delaying his cause rather than helping it. While Sonia talks to a cross-section of stakeholders, she makes up her mind singularly. A leader says, “Sonia’s political secretary Ahmad Patel is her key aide and she depends on his political inputs. Patel is the first man to know her mind outside the family. She sometimes seeks advice from former PM Manmohan Singh and AK Antony and values their inputs  because they never speak out of turn.”
  • On specific issues, Sonia seeks  inputs like she consulted Ashwani Kumar and Kapil Sibal to defend Manmohan Singh in the coal blocks allocation case. 
  • Rahul Gandhi: Works through his  structured, corporate style office with 37-year-old Kanishka Singh, son of a former foreign secretary, as his political aide. 

The office comprises: 

  • Kaushal Vidyarthee, 30, who studied DPhil in Social Policy at the University of Oxford and was born in Bihar’s Purnia. Kaushal specialises in Dalit studies and social exclusion and is always seen by Rahul’s side. Handles his schedules.
  • S. Ramakrishnan, ex-SPG offficer in charge of Rahul’s security operations in a personal capacity.
  • Mitakshara Kumari: Handles media.
  • Politcal advisers of Rahul’s team: Digvijay Singh (agrarian issues), Jairam Ramesh (for land ordinance, etc), Randeep Surjewala (communications) and K. Raju (Dalit issues).

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