It’s official: Rahul to be Congress chief

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 5

It’s now official. Thirteen years after entering politics as a Lok Sabha MP from Amethi, Rahul Gandhi is all set to take over as president of the 132-year-old Congress party, currently led by his mother Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving chief.

Along expected lines, Gandhi will make a seamless transition from Congress vice-president to president, facing zero competition in the election. The party’s election authority today said Gandhi was the “only validly nominated candidate in the fray and all 89 nomination forms proposed his candidature”.

The Congress, however, will follow all processes to declare Gandhi the next president only on December 11, the last date for withdrawal of nominations.

The generational shift complete, Gandhi has several tasks cut out for him, including the challenge of being a full-time politician, shedding his reputation of reluctance.

The Congress chief’s post has been his for the taking for long but he has taken his time. Like veteran Congress leader Ambika Soni says, “When Rahul Gandhi became party vice-president in January 2013, it was with the understanding that he would take over as Congress president.”

Gandhi’s transition also comes amid the party’s continuing electoral decline. The Congress is now in power only in five states, the major being Punjab, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. Karnataka will see elections next year and Himachal results are soon due, with Congress incumbency an issue in both.

Former Union minister Ashwani Kumar says the Gujarat election results can establish the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, who is campaigning aggressively in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite a “campaign of calumny unleashed against him and the Nehru-Gandhi family”.

Within the Congress too there is acknowledgment of the need for Gandhi to prove his ability to deliver in both Gujarat and Himachal. “Victory in Gujarat can do wonders for Rahul Gandhi. Alternatively a substantial improvement in party tally would help cement his leadership. Anything less than that can expose him to criticism,” a Congress leader said.

So far Gandhi’s leadership has not yielded election benefits for the Congress except in Bihar where the RJD-JDU-Congress alliance won riding on JDU chief Nitish Kumar’s popularity. Kumar subsequently got back with BJP to form a fresh government.

Stitching electoral pacts would therefore be crucial for Rahul Gandhi though news is that Sonia Gandhi may retain the role of party’s patron, engaging other political party bosses.

That said, Gandhi would now have to work to reorganise the party and take everyone along besides listening to them. Congress leaders privately talk about Gandhi having walked out of meetings when his point of view has not prevailed.