Notably, this Bill had the imprints of Rahul Gandhi when the UPA was in power and wanted to clear it in Parliament.
Now that the Gandhi scion has done what many are calling a “strategic retreat”, the Congress is back to the hut pondering over the leadership crisis.
Voices of a leadership change, both within and outside the party, are getting shriller. Here, we look at young Congress leaders who can, or are capable of, taking over from Rahul Gandhi.
Priyanka Gandhi: Though she has ruled out entering into politics, there have been ‘Priyanka laao, Congress pachao’ ‘ (Bring Priyanka and save the Congress) calls in the party after every poll debacle. Priyanka’s ease of connecting with the masses has often been compared to that of Indira Gandhi. And this perhaps sets her apart from Rahul, who always gives the impression of a man thrown into the world of politics without his consent.
She has effectively campaigned for her mother Sonia Gandhi and Rahul in elections in the Gandhi boroughs of Rae Brailey and Amethi. Analysts have always talked how she resembles Indira Gandhi in her mannerisms. The one thing that can go against her is the dynasty tag. But then, didn’t the family hold together the party after Sitaram Kesri’s elevation when the Congress was veering off?
Jyotiraditya Scindia: An articulate leader with a mass base, Jyotiraditya Scindia has successfully taken forward his father Madhavrao’s legacy. Scindia was the Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Power during the UPA government. Scindia represents the Guna parliamentary constituency in Madhya Pradesh and was the campaign committee chief during polls, though without much success.
Often seen with Rahul in Parliament, Scindia has to come out of the shadows of the Congress vice-president. His stint in the Power ministry has given him experience of governance, but the faction ridden Congress will have to approve his elevation. It remains to be seen how popular he is in the Congress.
Sachin Pilot: Though he lost the last Lok Sabha election from Ajmer in Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot has friends across political parties. He is the son of top Ccngress leader Rajesh Pilot, who died in a road accident at the prime of his career. Sachin, the state chief of Congress, is counted among Rahul Gandhi’s friends. Like Jyotiraditya, he was also the minister in the Manmohan Singh government. An effective communicator, Sachin has often presented the Congress’ views during television debates.
Ajay Maken: When he was made the Sports and Youth Affairs minister in UPA II dispensation, there were murmurs in the Delhi Congress camp, as he was seen as then Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit’s stiff competitor. He was also made the general secretary of the party until 2015 when he resigned after the debacle in Delhi elections which he also lost.
His famous or rather ‘infamous’ media interaction in which Rahul Gandhi swooped down and tore the ordinance aimed at shielding convicted lawmakers will perhaps be the low point for Maken. He also led the Congress campaign in Delhi from the front, but the party did not win a single seat.
Milind Deora: His was the first voice of dissent against Rahul Gandhi in the aftermath of the Lok Sabha election. Deora charged that Rahul Gandhi’s advisers did not have their “ears to the ground” and those with “no electoral experience” were “calling the shots.”
This could have been a strategic mistake as sycophancy-ridden Congress can’t take a word against the Gandhi family. His rant against Rahul certainly gave the impression of a leader who speaks his mind. Perhaps, his sheer audacity to take on Rahul may back his case for the top job in Congress.
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