Does 'groomed' Rahul have "appetite" for the cut and thrust of desi politics ::::: Another tryst with destiny would mean either defeat of Moditva or 'further isolation' of Dynasty ::::: Post Nov 1 rally, Can Rahul Gandhi present an "reinvented image" of himself and Congress party ::: The real reasons behind Narendra Modi's victory

Tried, tested and Rejected

Nov 1 - 2026 rally shows Mirror to Congress 

Can they get the message ?

Rahul Gandhi is always a tutored and groomed leader.

He was made Congress vice president with a lot of soap-opera drama. 

Lot of tear flow. Sonia Gandhi played an ambitious mother like any Indian mother but gave the colour of a philosopher-mom and told him "power is poison".

This was the session where Sushilkumar Shinde as Home Minister spoke in details about saffron terror. Rahul was 43. 

At 47, he has been groomed - as always - to lead Congress since birth and faced no challengers for the post of party president occupied for the past 19 years by his mother, Sonia.  But Sonia has the credit of bringing the party to power in 2004 and also in 2009. 

Once upon a time, the man was derided by political critics as “pappu” – or naive child. Every time he spoke in Parliament; Speaker Somnath Chatterjee did not fail to record his appreciation. He even used to thank and credit Rahul for tabling House panel report. Every time, Rahul spoke in Lok Sabha -- all Congress members would attend religiously and also thump desks. 

In 2011, when Meira Kumar was Speaker -- he gave a 'rashtra ke naam sandesh' during Zero hour. Nevertheless; politically he faced significant hurdles to lead India, including an ailing Congress party.

While there were 'doubts' over his mettle and his opponent by September 2013 was Modi. Soon by May 2014; his opponent became -- India’s most formidable prime minister in decades and the Hindutva icon Narendra Modi.

The 2014 mandate was a humiliating rout for Congress. Yet he survived and instead in 2017, he was made party president. As a backgrounder, everyone believed that the Congress - founded in 1885 - had ushered India into independence in 1947 and has ruled the country for most of its history. There was no scope to doubt that.

Rahul was expected to work on a few key fronts -- present a "reinvented image" of Congress party - which had by then became pro-Muslim as A K Antony report said.

He also ought to present himself as a serious Neta. Rahul initially for a decade or so enjoyed cultivating the image of a reluctant politician. Now, he is ambitious. But he has not yet given up the habit of  travelling overseas ... from US to Vietnam -- periodically.

 

Has he able to get the 'credibility' back for the Congress party? 

There would not be any objective analysis even by the media. Most stalwarts among analysts and observers are 'fed up' of Narendra Modi. All old jugadu games and junkets are now a thing of the past. For most the issues are more than just Indian democracy or secularism !

Rahul has ensured two things. The Congress and 'credibility' have been linked to what is anti-Modi and what is anti-Hindu. In the process; Modi has survived and more often focused more on Hindutva issues than hardcore governance. 

The Hindu-nationalism and developments are now Modi's ever lasting and ever-paying master cards.

 

The Congress losing ground in many states and unable to show any revival in states such as Gujarat, UP and Bihar or West Bengal only show that Congress’s brand of politics -- now more often pro-ultra Left has been superseded by the Lotus party.

Does well 'groomed' Rahul Gandhi have "appetite" for the cut and thrust of desi politics ?

Perhaps the doubts persist. He spoke about Jalebi factory in Haryana and his quote on 'potato factory' is also famous.

Addressing the students at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai, Rahul said, "One day you're going to run this country, run the institutions, you will be the Steve Jobs in the Microsofts and the leaders…the Facebooks of this country." 

Did he not know that Steve Jobs is not from Microsoft ?

Rahul Gandhi surprised many when he hugged a wrong person in a photo-op during his visit to a hospital at Una in Gujarat to meet the young Dalit men who were stripped and beaten. He hugged a woman, mistaking her for a relative of the victims.

Not long ago-- research conducted by the Pew Research Center, a US-based thinktank, showed 58% of Indians viewed Rahul Gandhi positively compared with 88% for Modi.

Rahul Gandhi once mixed up the two Hindi words 'balatkar and bhrastachar' (rape and corruption) while addressing a women's rally in Madhya Pradesh as he tried to refer to the increasing number of violence against women in the BJP-ruled state. 

On Women and Gujarat: "If someone has given milk to Gujarat, it's these women." (Spoken during a rally in Dehradun while pointing toward women in the crowd)

Left to him and his select team of advisors; Rahul believes in high-profile speeches at US universities and fierce attacks on Narendra Modi. He would often say things - which are not expected like "Indian economy is dead". 

Sample these --  "The fight is about whether he, as a Sikh, is going to be allowed to wear a turban in India; or whether, he, as a Sikh, is going to be allowed to wear a 'kada' in India; or he, as a Sikh, is going to be able to go to a gurdwara." (during a foreign visit).

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"The RSS's idea is similar to the idea of Muslim Brotherhood in the Arab world."

His outbursts more often give opportunities to attack Rahul.

Once a BJP spokesperson said:

"He goes abroad, defames India, tells lies. He is not the Leader of Opposition but the Leader of Propaganda. He has said in Germany that there is no manufacturing in India, and institutions have been razed. China, he has said, is doing well. Praise China, defame India, this is Rahul Gandhi's identity now."

 

ends