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Congress
In front office, it’s backroom boys that matter |
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In front office, it’s backroom boys that matter Team Sonia Although the entire AICC set-up, right from the general secretaries to office-bearers in district Congress committees, works under Sonia Gandhi, her core group consists of son Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka and soft-spoken political secretary Ahmed Patel. The Congress president consults general secretaries (strictly need-based) while senior leaders like AK Antony and P Chidambaram form part of the core committee that meets every Friday at the Prime Minister’s 7, Race Course Road, residence. It is at the core committee that the party deliberates and takes political decisions — be it the need to do away with subsidies or directing the Congress government in the states to slash sales tax to reduce the impact of fuel hike — that are then implemented by the government. Outside of her immediate family, Ahmed Patel is the political pointsman. From ensuring that the coalition partners remain on board to ensuring that the leaders with the Congress remain in tune with the party high command, Ahmed does it all. His work starts in the evening and continues well past the wee hours. He avoids publicity and usually prefaces a rare comment or nugget of information with a deadpan voice, “Mujhe quote nahin karma”.
Team Rahul
Call them Team RG. It is a group of young people who act as aides and advise Rahul Gandhi as he goes about working for the National Students Union of India (NSUI), Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and discharges his duties as a Member of Parliament, representing the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. As the Congress awaits its young leader to assume an important role in the grand old Congress, few key aides of Rahul maintain a low-profile, considering the veil of secrecy their Boss wraps around him. They have their own secretariat, complete with a media office that decides when and whom to speak or reach to and do not depend on the huge infrastructure available at the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Rahul can be spotted in the Lok Sabha occupying a middle row in the company of young MPs like Milind Deora, Jitin Prasada and Sachin Pilot, all of whom have moved to the government. Kanishka Singh
In American political parlance, Kanishka Singh can be best described as the “chief of staff” to Rahul. Son of former Foreign Secretary and later Governor SK Singh, Kanisha worked as an investment banker before joining Rahul. From interacting with constituents and preparing itinerary for Rahul, Kanishka, or ‘K’, wields tremendous power in the not-so-public set-up of Rahul on account of his unhindered access to the leader. Equipped with a computer that contains all key data, including caste and other combinations of each district, he is known to be a number-cruncher, providing inputs to the Boss at all times. From screening people to fixing appointments that precede a brief note about the person before Rahul gets to meet the person is routine. Sachin Rao
Known for his management skills, Sachin Rao brings to work his experience as one who was in the business of software solutions and has a management degree from Michigan Business School in corporate strategy and international business. His work on a project with management leader CK Prahalad introduced him to work on the bottom of the pyramid approach to understand the country’s economic structure from the far-end of the tunnel. He fits well into Rahul’s boardroom style political management policies, be it at 12, Tughlak Road official residence, or the War Room at 15, Gurudwara Rakabganj Road. Jitendra Singh
Member of the erstwhile Alwar Royals, Jitendra Singh was in the news recently after being one of the few ministers to be given dual charge — Minister of State with Independent Charge of Sports and Youth Affairs and Minister
osf State for Defence under AK Antony — after being shifted from the Home Ministry. He spent time in the AICC as secretary and is known to be the “eyes and ears” of Rahul, both in the party and the government. He shares Rahul’s enthusiasm as an aviator. Meenakshi Natarajan
A postgraduate in bio-chemistry and a law graduate, Meenakshi came into prominence as the president of the NSUI. Hailing from Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, she was responsible for the controversy that the then BJP leader Uma Bharati offered cake as ‘prasad’ to a Hindu deity, considered sacrilegious. Recently, she raised the hackles by drafting a Private Member’s Bill to regulate the media. Known for her simple style, Meenakshi can be seen hopping into an autorickshaw to travel around.
Ashok Tanwar
The Sirsa MP came in close contact with Rahul after heading the IYC, a position he held till 2010. He was one of those who was in the team during the transition when Rahul experimented by introducing “real” elections for the NSUI and IYC. Married to Avantika Maken, daughter of the late Congress leader Lalit Maken, this down-to-earth politician earned his spurs by working on the ground in the organisation. — KV Prasad |
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