The Congress leaders are still in confusion and wondering whether to project its 43-year old Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate or not. There seems to be a plumb division among the senior party leaders. Many believe that Rahul needs experience to contest against the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. It is a shame that the grand old party which has many members with long years of political and administrative experience and having proven abilities has to depend on a particular family to take decision on Prime Minister of the country if the party or a coalition led by it wins the Lok Sabha election. Unfortunately, no political pundit has come out with a credible explanation for this totally undemocratic tradition. Depressed Congress workers want Rahul as the prime ministerial candidate to go to Lok Sabha polls with a face. But at senior levels, leaders say that a “battle of personality” will cost the party and Rahul his image. There are many disagreements and differences over Rahul Gandhi as prime ministerial candidate. It was so, during Indira Gandhi’s time when Nehru and Gandhi legacy was still fresh and lasting and subsequently Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia, due to sympathetic factors consequent to their unfortunate violent ends. It is time to come out of this syndrome; it is time the wiser heads of the Congress community voiced their sincere opinions to save it from ignominy and rise to its earlier glory sooner, even if not in the ensuing elections.
If Congress is looking only at youth to qualify to be the PM nominee, why would they not groom more accomplished and self-thinking bright young leaders like Jairam Ramesh, Sachin Pilot, Jyotiaditya Scindia or any other deserving young generation candidates? Aren’t in the Party ‘men’ or ‘women’ to challenge Rahul Gandhi. Is dynasty connection also one of the factors for leadership? Is the Congressmen petrified by the domineering dynastic overpower so as to even coerce a ‘reluctant’ Rahul to take up the leadership mantle?
Rahul is still immature and he doesn’t have any vision or any impressive qualities to boast about. He has also been a witness to the government and its malfunctioning and corruption till date. He and his mother made the post of PM to be a mockery. Rahul has neither proved that he is an effective parliamentarian, nor a forceful speaker and is only the custodian of huge wealth amazed without any credible means. Congress is one of the political parties with senior and most educated leaders. Congress is blessed with grassroot level leaders and this has helped them to rule India for the maximum years after Independence. Right now, the waves are anti-Congress and people need change. They are not in a mood to retain back Congress and in such crises, if Rahul Gandhi is projected as PM candidate then the party would be putting last nail in its own coffin. There are no achievements of Rahul Gandhi after he joined politics in 2004. There is nothing which can be discussed about him as a politician in these 10 years. After miserably flop in Delhi, Congress should learn that they could not attract their own voters. Corruption and dynasty politics both are on the radar of other political parties. Congress lost its ground over dynasty politics. Congress should promote some good leader as their prime ministerial candidate; at least they can succeed in grabbing some votes. Moreover, if India ever wants to become a super power, we need to get rid of dynasty politics. Why do all the politicians’ sons enter politics, is it because politics runs in their blood and they can serve people better?
We need a law to make it mandatory for all politicians to send at least one of their daughters or sons to serve in the Indian army. Immediate descendants of the politicians should not be allowed to enter politics. Though, these actions sound anti-democratic, this will surely help India in curbing the practice of running party and government as their family business. Moreover, Rahul Gandhi is not at all inspiring. It was amazing to hear what Mani Shankar Iyer said; he said that even Rajiv Gandhi was initially reluctant to lead and many wrote him off but he surprised everybody by majestically rising to the occasion, but you cannot compare the two to support Rahul’s candidature for PM’s position. Rahul is perhaps seen by Congress as its last trump card. If he cannot deliver despite his lineage, nothing better can be done.
There are many deserving personalities in Congress party to project as Prime Ministerial Candidate. Power is poison and absolute power in a single family for over 60 years is absolute poison for the country. Mahatma Gandhi wanted Congress to dissolve. Nehru could have done that easily and started a new national party. But Congress’s name was something that resonated with illiterate people across India. No doubt, the views of Rahul Gandhi seem to be good and striking. He is the one who can even oppose his own party’s decision. However, it is possible in Congress party only for Gandhi family members. If the same attitude and trantum would have been shown by other leaders, he would have been shown the doors by now. Sonia and Congress leaders tried their level best to project him as an angry young man but he finally could not establish himself. We as Indian citizens deserve better politicians and bureaucrats. We need leaders who will put our country first rather than petty politics. It is time to overhaul entire system.
