If there is one person who has been at the constant receiving end of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and India’s right-wing ecosystem, it is Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. In the decade that the Narendra Modi-led BJP was running the country, his image has finally transformed into a solid alternative to Modi’s image, and one that many Indians can finally identify with.
It is of course premature to talk to suggest that Rahul Gandhi should be Prime Minister if the INDIA bloc ever wins. However, if one looks at the political campaigns over the last few years, Rahul it seems it not someone the BJP can call a “pappu” anymore. Far from it, even social media has been abuzz in the run up to the just concluded Lok Sabha elections of him being an alternative to Modi.
It is not that Rahul Gandhi is the best option, or that he is the only alternative to Narendra Modi. But it is the ferocity with which he has taken brickbats and responded in kind to his critics in spite of the personal attacks that make him a good alternative. More importantly, his outward nature as a son, brother, and as a kind person who cares about the poor are also qualities that have defined him.
In a way, it is not far from the magnanimous image of Rahul Gandhi’s great grandfather and India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was known to be one of the most accessible politicians in spite of his stature and image. (A month ago I met a retired former judge of the Andhra Pradesh high court who remembered meeting Nehru as a college student without any issues. Apparently anyone could walk up to Nehru and complain, or strike up a conversation. Something that seems almost impossible now).
Credit should also go to whoever is handling the Congress party’s social media accounts, given that it has finally caught up with the BJP. One can ruffle through and find that the abuses have now reduced, given that Rahul Gandhi’s image on social media has also changed. He is taken more seriously, is asking the right questions, and is constantly questioning the ruling dispensation as any opposition should do.
Though the Congress president now is senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress party’s main social media accounts are also filled with snippets of Rahul Gandhi taking on the BJP. It is an indication that even though he may not be holding the top post, he is still at the helm of things. From videos or snaps of him walking with people to interacting with common people, his strength now stems from his ability to be a leader that listens to people and their problems.
Of course, even he has to be censured for being a little hypocritical at times in his speeches during campaigns. For example, criticising the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government in Telangana for being run by one family (of K Chandrasekhar Rao or KCR) is a little funny given that Rahul Gandhi himself is often accused of being the poster boy for ‘dynastic politics’ in India.
However, political dynasties are not only everywhere, but also natural due to the nature of how the system works. Not that I am supporting it, but if we put that argument aside for a second, and purely look at alternatives for Prime Ministerial candidates, then Narendra Modi perhaps now has a serious contender.
The Congress, which tanked in 2019 with just 52 Lok Sabha seats (out of 543), made an impressive comeback with 99 out of the 230-odd seats for the INDIA bloc in the Parliamentary elections. And Rahul Gandhi seems to be finally emerging as a credible alternative to lead the nation. For a change, there is an answer to, ‘If not Modi then who?’.
There is also something very insidious about that question by Modi supporters, because it is an insult of a multi-cultural and diverse country, which has enough leaders to lead this country otherwise. Rahul Gandhi is just one of them, and a slightly younger one as well.
The more important thing about Congress scion Rahul Gandhi has been his approach to issues, and a very human way of interacting with common people. In a country filled with entitled politicians who constantly abuse and disrespect common citizens, Rahul Gandhi has shown everyone, especially the government, that a bigger section of Indians also want a leader they can talk to and walk with, and not just worship.
He also won both of the Lok Sabha seats he contested this time, one of which was the crucial Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh with a majority of over 3.9 lakh votes over his BJP rival. Rahul Gandhi’s win this time was also an indicator of where he stands today as a serious contender.
