Sonia Gandhi’s long-standing dilemma over Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi resurfaces as Congress debates its future leadership path | File Photo
Sonia Gandhi’s fear appears to be returning to haunt the Congress. A contentious statement by a Congress party leader from Uttar Pradesh has virtually put the cat among the pigeons and created flutters in party circles.
Imran Masood, the Congress MP from Saharanpur, stated that Priyanka Gandhi would make a better prime minister in handling the Bangladesh situation. He compared Priyanka to her grandmother, Indira Gandhi, and her handling of the situation that led to the creation of Bangladesh as a sovereign country in 1971.
Sycophancy and the scramble for relevance
There is an undeclared race among fringe Congress leaders to demonstrate their loyalties to the Gandhi siblings and secure their own futures by getting into their good books. The Congress party, anyway, is known for accepting sycophancy as a tool to promote one’s prospects. Masood is no exception. What he said can be attributed to his overenthusiasm.
BJP seizes the moment, Congress keeps quiet
However, the BJP was quick to lap it up and suggest that it showed a lack of faith by a party lawmaker in the leadership qualities of Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi remains the incumbent Leader of Opposition and an eternal prime minister-in-waiting.
The Congress party did not react officially, but Masood was chided by senior leaders for making the statement. This forced him to backtrack and publicly acknowledge Rahul Gandhi as his leader.
A debate that refuses to die down
The matter may have been settled for now, and Masood is unlikely to face punitive action. But the issue remains open for further debate, both within the party and in public discourse, especially concerning Rahul Gandhi’s leadership ability and calibre.
That he has failed to impress voters is no secret. There is no parallel of a leader rejected thrice by the electorate still being projected as a future prime minister.
Rahul Gandhi versus Narendra Modi
There is no denying the fact that the Congress party is taking a major risk by backing Rahul Gandhi to stand up to someone like Narendra Modi. Modi is yet to taste public rejection since he first became Gujarat chief minister nearly a quarter of a century ago.
While the BJP’s graph has surged since Modi entered national politics ahead of the 2014 general elections, the Congress party’s graph has consistently declined. The party has failed to cross the century mark in the Lok Sabha since Rahul Gandhi was first pitted against Modi as its prime ministerial face.
The burden and privilege of the Gandhi surname
The fact remains that the Congress would have moved ahead and beyond Rahul Gandhi if his second name were not Gandhi. Ironically, the Gandhis are both assets and liabilities for the party. Rahul is still seen as learning on the job, even more than two decades after he first became an MP in 2004.
Priyanka Gandhi and the Indira comparison
Probably no one knew better than Sonia Gandhi that Rahul is stubborn and a slow learner. In contrast, many saw the shadows of Indira Gandhi in Priyanka.
Though she may have failed to live up to those expectations due to her over-reliance on her elder sibling’s team of advisers and speechwriters, whenever she goes beyond the script she often impresses as a fierce speaker who makes more sense than Rahul Gandhi, who frequently adds drama without substance.
Why Priyanka was held back
It was common knowledge that Priyanka was being held back from active politics. Sonia Gandhi feared that Priyanka would overtake and outweigh Rahul. Sonia deflected questions about Priyanka by saying that caring for her young children was her priority.
However, it was no secret that, as a doting mother, Sonia wanted her son Rahul to become the fourth prime minister from the Nehru-Gandhi family, not Priyanka.
Plans go awry in the Modi era
Later, different roles were envisaged for the Gandhi siblings. The original plan was for Priyanka to serve as party president and Rahul to head the government as prime minister.
What Sonia and her coterie did not anticipate was a third term for Modi as prime minister. This prolonged Rahul’s wait to occupy a chair that he and many others in the Congress felt belonged to him by birthright.
Remote control politics and Kharge’s rise
The stage eventually came when there was no choice but to let Priyanka enter Parliament. The Gandhis tactically decided to run the party by remote control, unwilling to be blamed for repeated defeats in national and state elections.
This led to Mallikarjun Kharge becoming party chief. Now, the two siblings sit in the same House of Parliament by default, as the original plan and script went haywire.
Priyanka’s restraint and recurring sparks
Priyanka, for her part, has tried to match Rahul’s low profile so as not to overshadow him. Yet, at times, sparks emerge when she discards the script. This gives people like Imran Masood an opportunity to draw conclusions about which of the two Gandhis may be better suited to be prime minister.
Looking beyond 2029
Priyanka’s moment may come after 2029, if Rahul Gandhi fails in his fourth attempt to become prime minister. The Congress party is not expected to look beyond the Gandhi family for leadership. And if that remains the case, who better than Priyanka to succeed Rahul?
Ajay Jha is a senior journalist, author and political commentator.
