Has the magic begun to fade

Disgruntled leaders are now whispering about Rahul Gandhi's failure as the star Congress campaigner

He is, of course the son, grandson and great-grandson of previous Indian Prime Ministers. For the Congresswallahs, he is an icon of generational change — even though he is now almost a generation older than the young voters he is supposed to attract. At 43, the Prince is no longer a young man, but he is much younger than much of the rest of India’s leadership class, whose average age is 65.

 

There was little doubt that the result in Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where Rahul Gandhi had staked his personal prestige and unleashed an aggressive campaign in a bid to revive the party, was a major blow for the young leader. Will the Grand Old Party go for a major makeover before 2014 Lok Sabha elections? Rolling up his sleeves the way Gandhi did while addressing election gatherings, an exasperated Congress leader’s chamcha (read supporter) was heard saying, for each and everything, voters are chanting NaMo, NaMo mantra these days. What kind of a RaGa is this? 

 

Only a Dil Se (read authentic) analysis of how things have gone wrong can enable the party to reconnect with the people’s sentiments. Will the Congress-led government push a host of new products (read populist schemes) to allure voters before the big event? First, the prices of onion brought tears, and probably a series of half-baked plans may also burn a hole in average tax-payer's pockets. There are whispers in the corridors of power that the ruling party might play Santa Claus after Christmas in the next three months so that heavyweight netas could redeem their pre-poll promises. 

 

The likes of Janardhan Dwivedi, Ahmad Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jairam Ramesh, Kapil Sibal and others are beginning to realise that their writ no longer runs in the party as far as decision-making processes are concerned. The reason for their isolation has to do with the churning that Gandhi has brought about within the Congress. The speed at which the Congress vice-president has taken charge of the party organisation has caught the old guard by surprise. Dubte suraj ko kaun parnaam karta hai  (who salutes to the setting sun)? Correct. 

 

Hindi dailies have reported that the Congress is likely to follow the Kamaraj Plan and send off the veteran leaders to take up responsibilities in their respective states. At present, how much the Kamaraj Plan would revive a dispirited party remains open to debate. It is high time senior leaders should opt for organisational work and become the alert eyes and ears of the public, pro-active spokespersons within the party for the people they represent.

 

Gandhi’s leadership qualities face a challenge and the unrest within the party is bound to intensify. Many believe the Amethi MP could not present himself as an angry young man in 2014 as the Congress was in power at the Centre for the last 10 years. Media columnists have cited causes like high prices, corruption charges against the United Progressive Alliance government, internal fighting and the overall negative mood against the Congress for the Assembly poll debacle. 

 

Unease among the Lok Sabha MPs has intensified after the latest poll debacle. What is worrying is that a large number of senior leaders agree with Nationalist Congress Party boss Sharad Pawar and privately express reservations against Gandhi's style of functioning. Prospective allies will not take easily to an arrogant Gandhi. He lacks the political weight to be respected by the Sharad Pawars, the Lalu Prasads, the Nitish Kumars, the Reddys. 

 

Gandhi was the poster boy for Congress's campaign. The loss is being seen as a sharp rebuke to the dreams of the man most Indians expect will be the country’s next prime minister. Others argue that the name still carries weight.  Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may have delayed the inevitable, but in this changed scenario the Grand Old Party needs her in the forefront more than ever before. Will Priyanka Gandhi emerge as the surprise Congress candidate for the top job? Wait and watch is the best policy at present.