The dynasty continues

Everyone in India knew this was, one day, bound to happen. Indeed, speculation as to when one of the late Rajiv Gandhi’s two children would take over the Congress Party has circulated ever since Rajiv was killed in a tragic suicide bombing in 1991. It is something of a wonder that there has been such a long interval before his son, Rahul, now aged 42, steps fully into the political spotlight. Credit for this refusal to thrust him too early into the harsh, often murky, world of Indian politics must go to his mother, Sonia, the president of the Congress party, who ensured her son was able to complete a normal education overseas, protected by the anonymity of an assumed name, and then take up party work low down the ranks, beginning with the youth wing of the body — giving him time to learn the ropes.

But with the Congress party facing crisis, and faring badly at successive by-polls, what happened was inevitable. Rahul Gandhi, this weekend, was elevated to the position of party vice-president and will almost certainly be its prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 polls. The politics of dynasty, seen too at home, then continues. The son, grandson and great grandson of Indian prime ministers begins his quest for the same spot. So far, he has shied away from assuming too much party prominence, but it appears that at this point, the party sees hope for electoral success only in a Nehru-Gandhi name.

Rahul’s acceptance speech at Jaipur hit all the right notes. He spoke quietly but eloquently of doing more for the deprived masses of India, closing the gap between them and the rich and decentralising power. He also spoke of his love for the Congress party. The speech was largely a conventional one. The real test lies ahead as he makes his bid to rejuvenate what currently looks like a flagging party and gives it some hope at the upcoming polls. His efforts and his leadership style from now on will be under the closest scrutiny as he takes over the reins of power.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2013.