DC Debate: Will the party sail through?

Cong-mukt India now an easy task: Harish Khurana, The writer is Delhi’s BJP spokesperson

Rahul Gandhi, scion of India’s most enduring political dynasty, will now preside over the 132-year-old Indian National Congress. The “crown” of president poses several challenges for Rahul. Only time will tell whether he’ll sink or lead the party. It brings down the curtain on Sonia Gandhi’s era. She led the party and its campaigns successfully from the front and ensured 10 uninterrupted years in power at the Centre. The elevation of Rahul comes at a time when its fortunes have touched an all-time low. The party is ruling only in five states (might be four by next week) — Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Meghalaya and Mizoram.

Rahul, a three-time member of Parliament, is a descendant of the makers of modern India. His great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru was India’s first PM. His grandmother Indira Gandhi was the country’s longest-serving PM, while his father Rajiv Gandhi was PM. His mother Sonia Gandhi remote-controlled the UPA governments headed by Manmohan Singh and has now passed on the baton to him. Far from matching up to those names, Rahul has been an unequivocal failure. He took upon himself the task of reviving the party’s youth organisations and failed. He said he wanted to rebuild the party organisation in its home turf of Uttar Pradesh, but has only seen it worsen. After his elevation as vice-president, the Congress slid down to 44 seats in the Lok Sabha in the 2014 general election. It was the first time in history that the Congress went below 100 seats.

When Sonia Gandhi came out to speak on the result, Rahul merely stood by her side smiling. The party has even lost its ability to stitch together clever coalitions. Despite having emerged as the single-largest party in Goa and Manipur Assembly elections earlier this year, the Congress was outmanoeuvred by the BJP in stitching alliances and forming governments. Diffident over secularism, its credibility in tatters over corruption allegations, unwilling to fight elections with a killer instinct, and unable to set the agenda against the Narendra Modi government, the Congress today faces an identity crisis. Voters don’t know what it stands for, what it is offering. Rahul has been unable to change that.

Far from being the solution, Rahul is seen as the problem. By his own admission, he is no match for Mr Modi in mass communication. Politics, specially in the Modi era, is all about political communication. He uses English words when addressing Hindi-speaking rural masses, often disappears for days from public discourse and has been a rich source of political humour. Seen as a part-time politician, Rahul never misses his holidays. Whether India is undergoing upheaval with demonetisation or a fresh round of Assembly elections are nigh, he has to take his December-end flight out and soon starts planning his birthday trip in June. Each holiday lasts around two weeks. By contrast, Mr Modi projects the image of a 24×7 leader.

In fact, the BJP is happy of Rahul becoming president, that it would make the task easier of making India Congress-mukt. The question is, whether Rahul can strategise to win elections against the winning machine of Mr Modi and BJP president Amit Shah — two of the master strategists?

Congress’ fortunes will turn: Arjun Puri, The writer is a Youth Congress leader

With Rahul Gandhi taking over the presidency of the Congress, power has passed to a fourth generation of India’s most influential political family. First of all, let me clarify that the topic of the debate is not correct as no political party in India or elsewhere in the world elects its president to politically support its rival. The unopposed election of Rahul for the office of Congress president shows the faith of party workers, leaders and delegates in him.

With his vision and youthful energy, Rahul will give a new shape, motivation and direction to the party. Motivated Congressmen under Rahul’s leadership will give a befitting reply to its opponent, specially the BJP, in the 2019 general election. Each and every Congressman is confident that under Rahul’s able and visionary leadership, the party will touch new heights in future, including the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In the past 13 years, since he made his electoral debut, Rahul has led the party from the front and closely seen its highs and lows. He has led the party to a good performance in Uttar Pradesh, winning almost twice the number of seats as the BJP, in the 2009 general election. He has enough experience —since January 2013 he was the party’s vice-president, the longest by anyone in the party.

People regularly questioned his leadership qualities as the Congress lost a few Assembly elections, but they forget that under his leadership the party won Punjab with a huge mandate, emerged as the single largest party in Manipur and Goa, but failed to form the government as he doesn’t believe and support dirty tricks to form the government. The BJP has formed the government in Manipur and Goa by killing all democratic values and by indulging in horse-trading, which is known to everyone.

Rahul’s elevation has sent positive vibes among Congress workers and youth across the country as it is not only seen as a generational change or change of power, but emergence of youth power. The excitement is visible among every worker, irrespective of the state or region s/he belongs to. Rahul’s popularity among the youth and his ability to connect with them will benefit the party and help in reaching out to a new section of voters. His young approach will infuse new and fresh blood among the cadre, which can be visible in the coming state polls and ultimately in the next general election.

Only in Rahul’s vision and approach leaders of all the Congress frontal organisations are elected through a democratic process in which youth leaders from different backgrounds are holding key positions in the organisation. Only due to his efforts the democratic process was adopted in internal elections of these organisations, in which professionals, students and youth from non-political families joined the Congress. Under his leadership, the Congress Party will reach new heights by reaching out to all sections of society and youth are likely to participate more during his tenure. All Congressmen believe that the party’s fortunes will turn after Rahul’s ascension as party president, and it will not benefit any other political party or parties.