His grandmother Indira Gandhi had gone to the extent of forming a new party Congress (I) with the help of just 54 MPs.
New Delhi: With the crisis in the Congress showing no signs of abating, the question arises whether Rahul Gandhi will be able to muster up courage to do what his grandmother Indira Gandhi had done. To recall, Indira Gandhi had gone to the extent of forming a new party Congress (I) with the help of just 54 MPs. With the formation of a new political outfit, she had managed to get into power as well.
Tongues are wagging because Rahul Gandhi feels that leaders are not doing what he wants them to. He feels that most of them are afraid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul Gandhi has made his anger public in front of these leaders on some occasions. He has also expressed his displeasure over this attitude of the Congress leaders in CWC. Rahul Gandhi had even threatened to resign in a CWC meeting this week. The question is which are the leaders who aren’t obeying Rahul Gandhi? If so is the case, then what alternative does Rahul Gandhi have? He seems to have two ways to deal with such a situation. First, he kicks out the leaders who don’t obey him. Second, like his grandmother Indira Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi forms a new party.
But the million dollar question is whether Rahul Gandhi will be able to show the courage. It’s not easy. Rahul Gandhi wants to settle everything in the party before taking over the reins of the Congress. How will he do is not easy to understand. Sources believe that Rahul Gandhi is already late. If he had taken over the responsibilities timely like Indira Gandhi, he could have done much better. He didn’t take any government responsibility when his party was in power for ten years. He couldn’t have courage to sit on the front bench of the party after the 2014 defeat. Somehow he took over the party’s control after three years in 2017; he couldn’t take bold decisions.
As a result, the organisation got weakened at all levels. His own team terribly flopped. After another defeat in 2019, he left the president post making way for ageing Sonia Gandhi to be interim president. What will Rahul Gandhi be able to do new if he becomes president again? He is not the party boss, but leaders reach out to him only for his consent. All the decisions have his nod. Despite this, Rahul Gandhi thinks leaders aren’t obeying him. Barring a couple of leaders, it’s Rahul Gandhi who is attacking Prime Minister Modi. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Digvijay Singh are the two leaders who have been seen attacking PM Modi. Randeep Singh Surjewala and now marginalized Navjot Singh Sidhu are also not hesitant in attacking the PM. But the expected aggressiveness is missing. That’s why Rahul Gandhi got angry in CWC. Home Minister Amit Shah taunted him. What was surprising was that no leader except Gehlot hit back at Shah. Some Congress leaders did raise voice against the government over the China issue. All eyes are on what innovative steps Rahul Gandhi will take. He is already 50. When Indira Gandhi took over party’s reins after Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri, she was faced with immense challenges. She accepted them and launched her new party in 1969. Thereafter, she won the battle against Pakistan in 1971 and established herself as a strong leader. Then came her decision to impose Emergency, resulting in Indira Gandhi getting out of power. Several of her lieutenants left her. She formed Congress (I) in 1978 and returned to power within two years. But will Rahul Gandhi be able to do an Indira Gandhi? Sanjay Gandhi was firmly behind his mother Indira Gandhi. Similarly, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is firmly behind her brother Rahul Gandhi. Even, Priyanka Vadra’s children Rehan and Maria are also taking interest in politics.