Rahul looks to follow in mummy’s footprints

Nehru-Gandhi dynast Rahul Gandhi’s recent pronouncement that he should not be asked if he wants to be Prime Minister, says a lot about his low self-esteem and his fear of taking things head on. It seems he is so intimidated by his own failures that he doesn’t even want to face situations ahead of him.

In spite of mother Sonia Gandhi’s and fawning courtiers’ firm belief that the crown belongs to Rahul, he continues to fight shy of it. There is a long list of failures credited to the Gandhi heir and that is what dissuades him from taking on bigger responsibilities.

Be it losing Assembly Elections in States like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, or failure to rejuvenate the Youth Congress, Rahul’s ride has gotten much tougher due to multiple stumbling blocks.

Perhaps earlier letdowns in State elections prevented him from campaigning in Gujarat. In any case, Narendra Modi had been declared winner before the election result had even been announced.

Talking of second failures, everyone knows about the Gandhi scion’s failure to revive the party organisation via the Youth Congress.

Projecting himself as a youth leader, Rahul failed abysmally to gel with angry youth in the Capital when massive outrage erupted over the rape incident. At that time, every second person was asking where Rahul Gandhi was and why he was not reacting.

Therefore, learning from his failures, and after giving much thought to the ongoing ‘PM debate’, Rahul Gandhi has decided to chalk out an alternate plan.

Try to recall past events, when Sonia Gandhi renounced the post of Prime Minister after the 2004 Lok Sabha election when UPA took over power from BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre. All eyes had been on Sonia as she was most likely to take over the reins, but she had other plans.

Manmohan Singh was made the ‘accidental PM’ after Sonia Gandhi rejected the highest post of the country.

It is an altogether different matter that if Sonia Gandhi had not rejected the post herself, President Abdul Kalam would have overruled her claim because of the Citizenship Act which debars any outsider from become the Prime Minister of India.

It seems Rahul Gandhi wants to follow in his mother’s footprints by not taking charge of affairs but indirectly controlling everything through someone submissive.

His mother knew that putting up then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh, who had a clean image and had championed economic reform, will work for her. Rahul too is looking for the same.

After all, the Gandhi family has perfected the art of handing over power to people who follow orders without question. The current example Manmohan Singh sits in the Prime Minister’s office.

The Dynasty wants a rubber stamp at the helm of affairs so they may play him easily. Someone who could take the blame for all failures and bad decisions and rescue The Family from infamy. Rahul Gandhi probably finds it more convenient to be kingmaker rather than king.

Whether or not the Congress will be in position to choose the king or kingmaker is something only time will tell, but Rahul Gandhi, as a leader has definitely disappointed the country, especially youth.