Ten years in opposition have left Congress and the Gandhi family in decline, accused of elitism, disorganisation and weak leadership. The party presence on the ground remains lacklustre, compared with the BJP’s well-organised electoral machine and its disciplined cadre -- says 'The Guardian', London.
The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty were once the giants of India’s politics – the family at the forefront of the independence battle, who built up the formidable Congress party and produced three prime ministers, says the article penned by Hannah Ellis-Petersen.
 |
| Mother-daughter duo : Sonia-Priyanka 'over protective' for Rahul |
"But now the family are fighting for their survival. India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, and his Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) government are seeking a third term in power in elections taking place over six weeks.
Most analysts believe a BJP victory against Congress and its allies once again seems likely," she notes. Analysts say that a third consecutive loss to Modi in June would deal another crippling blow to the family and could throw the future of the party as a viable political force into question.
Rahul Verma, a fellow at the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research, said the Congress party was akin to a “large ship which has rusted for a very long period of time”. Verma said the problem was in part the Gandhi family leadership “but also the whole organisation of the party, which is very weak”.
Verma warned that if Congress faced another major election loss, it could find itself with state, or even national, rebellions on its hands, which could further diminish and even fracture the party to devastating effect. “This election is critical for Congress,” he said.
Rahul resigned two years later after losing to Modi, but the family’s influence has not waned and the Gandhis have made little effort to find a long-term successor who is not within their dynastic ranks. Few believe the family will vacate the political arena voluntarily. After internal pressure, last year Congress voted in a new president, Mallikarjan Kharge, but he is 81 years old and seen as the choice of the Gandhis. For many within its ranks, Congress without the Gandh is still seems unfathomable and Rahul Gandhi remains the recognisable face of the party.
“Earlier there was a divinity associated with this dynasty: it was unstated but they very much felt they were destined to rule this country,” said Sugata Srinivasaraju, who authored a book on Rahul Gandhi. “They don’t know how to behave when they are in opposition.”
Nowhere has the battle for the Gandhi family legacy been more visible in this election than in Raebareli, a dusty, nondescript constituency in Uttar Pradesh. The state was once the stronghold of Congress but under Modi it slipped from its grip to become a bastion of the BJP. Raebareli is the only safe Congress seat left, -- says the piece.
No comments:
Post a Comment