Leader Rahul Gandhi: The dynastic System of National Congress

Leader Rahul Gandhi, often called the Pappu of Indian politics, is the product of dynastic rule. The Indian National Congress cannot think beyond the Nehru–Gandhi family, so Rahul rose to the top. Congress was, is, and will remain the center of media attraction. Therefore, the media always keeps its focus on Leader Rahul Gandhi. For the same reason, Narendra Modi and the BJP target him the most. Mamata Banerjee also resists accepting leadership under a junior like Rahul Gandhi.

Some may argue that Rahul Gandhi’s rise in politics reflects India’s old patriarchal mindset. Perhaps that is why Priyanka remains in Rahul’s shadow. She prefers a happy domestic life with her husband and children. Still, she has been active in politics for some years, though in a very scattered manner. She is now an elected MP. She occasionally appears in different political programs. Her presence during the Hathras incident or outside the Lok Sabha often attracts attention.

Yet, Indira Gandhi, their grandmother, ruled Indian politics with authority. As Prime Minister, she stepped beyond the image of a sentimental widow and led the nation with authority. With her sharp political intellect, she never bowed to Nixon and Kissinger’s America. Her role in Bangladesh’s liberation war stands immortal in history. Such male chauvinism should not exist in that family.

Is Leader Rahul Gandhi the Weak Link?

Leader Rahul Gandhi has taken charge of the Congress. But the ship is already sinking. Rahul delivers fiery speeches in Parliament for two days, and then leaves for long foreign vacations. He does not understand the need to stay grounded and fight from the field. Most of his decisions come suddenly and without continuity. Even when he earns massive public response, he fails to accelerate that momentum.

He achieved remarkable success during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. But he did not convert that wave of support into votes. The Bihar Voter Adhikar Yatra also got tremendous response. But, Leader Rahul Gandhi grew upset over seat distribution and cut off communication with Tejashwi Yadav for nearly 20 days. As a result, neither Rahul nor Tejashwi benefited from the massive public support generated by the yatra. Instead, the BJP and JDU used the rift between them to intensify their campaign. By the time Rahul woke up, it was too late. The results show that National Congress has failed miserably.

That has become the pattern, Rahul starts every movement with passion and good intentions, but fails to maintain consistency.

Center of Attack of Narendra Modi and BJP

On the other hand, the BJP and Narendra Modi continuously attack the Leader Rahul Gandhi. Their objective is obvious. It is not difficult to win over regional parties by offering them some political space. But to dominate India as a whole, the BJP must reduce the Congress’s seat share. Narendra Modi has openly declared his policy of creating a “Congress-free India”. Now, they are targeting West Bengal.

Rahul Gandhi’s Congress does not have the strength to carry the legacy and the golden chapters of the party’s history. That is why attacking today’s Congress is very easy. Even Mamata Banerjee does not want to give Leader Rahul Gandhi importance, as Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi showed her great affection in the past.

His immaturity became clear when he suddenly embraced the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha. It was undoubtedly a dramatic and emotional gesture. But he immediately ruined its seriousness by winking afterwards.

Narendra Modi and the BJP attack him constantly. They repeatedly raise their voice against dynastic politics. Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee once said in the Lok Sabha that his government would not run by the remote control of 10 Janpath. The message was unmistakable.

No matter how much the Indian National Congress projects Manmohan Singh or Mallikarjun Kharge as its face, the real center of power remains the Gandhi family. Shashi Tharoor knew he would lose against Kharge, yet he still contested. In his own subtle way, he stood against that very dynastic control.

Leader Rahul Gandhi

We remember how Leader Rahul Gandhi publicly requested Manmohan Singh in the Lok Sabha to increase the number of subsidized gas cylinders from six to twelve. When Parliament was considering a bill to save Lalu Prasad’s MP post, Rahul dramatically tore the draft bill in public to protest. The opposition already mocked Manmohan Singh as “Mauni Baba”. After that label, could he ignore any demand made by Rahul Gandhi in public?

These actions only created media attention, nothing more. Ordinary people are not foolish. With such theatrics, Rahul unnecessarily turned his own image into a mockery.

Leader Rahul Gandhi created a storm in the beginning by holding up the Constitution and saying “Samvidhan khatre mein hai”. But that drama could not hold people’s emotions for long. Mamata Banerjee later copied the same “Constitution book” style and walked with it. She managed to generate far more emotion than Rahul. The rise of Trinamool Congress happened by splitting the National Congress in West Bengal.

The same happened with Rahul’s movement against “vote theft”. He seems to forget that the 2024 election is already over. Even if electoral malpractice happened, nothing can be changed now. Except in rare cases, no MP is going to lose their seat at this stage. He has been continuing with the same issue for long. Rather, it looks absurd when the Election Commission holds a press conference just to counter Rahul Gandhi, while it stays silent on other allegations.

Glitters of Success

Congress stunned many by winning 99 Lok Sabha seats and forming the Karnataka government. But we must also look at how the party lost power one after another in many states. Those 99 seats are not the result of Congress alone. They are largely the outcome of alliance politics. Without Akhilesh Yadav or Tejashwi Yadav, could Congress have won so many seats?

As Prashant Kishor said, Congress must come out of the shadow of the family if it wants to survive.

The Future of Indian Politics

We must admit that only the Indian National Congress, like the BJP, has got a pan India presence.  And Leader Rahul Gandhi faces a big challenge as an opposition leader. The BJP and Congress face each other directly in nearly 180 to 190 seats. Regional parties may win a few seats in their states, but a strong opposition alliance is impossible without a strong Congress. A powerful opposition is essential in a democracy. Therefore, the future of the Indian National Congress is closely linked to the future of India itself.