DC Debate: The Congress is right in banking on Rahul Gandhi for its revival

Ajay Maken

Ideal leader for Congress and country

Shrikant Sharma

An all-round disaster as MP, leader

The Congress is right in banking on party vice-president Rahul Gandhi for its revival in the country. Mr Gandhi is an ideal leader, not only for the Congress but also for the entire country. He truly represents the hopes and aspirations of young India. A perfect mix of compassion for the poor and drive for modern growth, he has been working relentlessly not only for the party but for the entire country. His commitment to the welfare of the poorest of the poor is unmatched.
See the zeal with which he has been raising the pressing issues concerning the poor in this country. No other leader would have, or in fact has, traveled as much to the remotest parts of the country as he has done in the last 10 years.

Mr Gandhi interacted with the tribals of Nilgiri hills in Orissa, the poverty-ridden people of Bundelkhand, he met Kalavati Bandurkar the Vidharba farm widow and farmers in Bhatta-Parsaul. He not only interacted with them but also successfully raised issues that will serve the people of Nilgiri hills, got economic packages for Bundel-khandis and brought amendment in the Land Acquisition Act to protect poor farmers.

In Mr Gandhi the Congress has a leader who very strongly and honestly believes in empowering workers at the grassroots level. His intentions are noble and that’s precisely why he would be an ideal leader for the party as well as the entire nation.

We strongly believe in his leadership and will see the difference his choices will make after the organisational elections.
Mr Gandhi is a man of strong convictions.

Unlike leaders of the other parties, both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Mr Gandhi have consistently shown that they don’t hanker after power. Any one of these two leaders could have been the Prime Minister during the 10-year rule of the UPA government.
But both chose to confine themselves to organisational posts to guide the party. I have interacted with him and know that he has a hands-on approach to most issues concerning the nation — be it poverty alleviation, industrial growth, defence related strategic issues, foreign policy, women empowerment, youth related matters or sports.
Mr Gandhi very sincerely believes in the secular ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and it is this kind of thinking which can take us forward. His firm ideological commitment to secularism and dedication to ensure the uplift of the poorest of the poor will only move the nation forward.
The world saw a glimpse of his energy level when he travelled up to Kedarnath temple.

In his various interactions with workers and media, one can easily see his humane face. He comes across as an unassuming, honest to the core and truly a well-meaning human being. I have spent some valuable moments of my life with him and have personally learnt from his vision. He believes in total transparency. He always thinks about the welfare of the poor and the downtrodden. His vision for the party is bound to help in the overall growth of the country.

(As told to Sanjay Kaw)
Ajay Maken, president, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee

Rahul Gandhi has been a disaster for the Congress. While Mr Gandhi’s performance as a member of Parliament is dismal, he is equally disappointing as a vice-president of the Congress. There is a chorus within the Congress that Mr Gandhi should become the party president. Before that happens, the party should evaluate Mr Gandhi’s performance.

In June 2013, Mr Gandhi was elevated to the post of party vice-president. There has been a general election and 14 state Assembly elections since and the Congress has had to bite the dust in more than 10 Assembly elections and was wiped off the country’s electoral map in general election 2014 managing just 44 Lok Sabha seats. Starting from Jammu and Kashmir, it has no representatives in the Lok Sabha from the northern states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi. It has been reduced to single digits in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. In the west, it has no MPs from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa, while in Maharashtra, its erstwhile bastion, it has single-digit presence. In the south, the Congress has zero MPs from Tamil Nadu and Seemandhra, while it has been reduced to single-digit presence in Karnataka and Telangana. It has no representation in the Lok Sabha from Jharkhand, Nagaland, Orissa, Tripura and Sikkim in the east.

Even most Union Territories turned their back on the Congress. This clearly shows that the Congress has become a regional party under Mr Gandhi’s leadership.

His performance as an MP has been below average so far. An MP since 2004, this is his third term. He is among the worst performers as far as attendance in the House is concerned. In the 15th Lok Sabha, his overall attendance was around 42 per cent, some sessions it was as low as 16 to 17 per cent. Even a student needs 75 per cent attendance to sit in an examination.

Mr Gandhi did not ask a single question in the 15th Lok Sabha, and he has not asked any question during the last 11 months of the present Lok Sabha. He has not drafted a private member bill so far. During his 11-year career as an MP, he has not spoken in the House even 11 times. It seems that Mr Gandhi is not interested in the legislative process.

As far as the utilisation of the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund is concerned, Mr Gandhi is among the worst performers. He represents Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, one of the poorest districts of the state with a per capita income of Rs 10,530 annually — that’s half of Uttar Pradesh’s average and one-fourth the national average. A large number of people in his constituency do not even have access to clean drinking water and other basic amenities. Mr Gandhi, during the 15th Lok Sabha, did not recommend even half of the fund entitled to his constituency.

After Independence, the Congress became a Nehru-Gandhi owned private limited party, but under the leadership of Mr Gandhi it has become OPC (One Person Company). It’s unfortunate that in a vibrant democracy like India, a 125-year-old party is focused on one person’s interests while ignoring the issues of 125 crore Indians.

Shrikant Sharma,
national secretary, Bharatiya Janata Party