Will Rahul Gandhi finally have his way? When Gandhi joined active politics in 2004, and was initially given charge of Youth Congress and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), he was very keen to make the Congress look and feel younger. As it became clear slowly and inevitably that the baton would pass from Sonia Gandhi to Rahul Gandhi, the latter was clear that the advisors and core team of Sonia Gandhi would need to be replaced with youth and that became his pitch.
But, as expected, there was a generational fight and with the G-23 putting their foot down, it became impossible to make the change. As the Grand Old Party grappled for relevance with electoral losses, the grip of the old guard became stronger. Much as he wanted, Rahul Gandhi realised that the young would have to wait for their time.
Take the example of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. In both cases, Rahul Gandhi was keen on young and new faces but it was tough to get rid of Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, and Ashok Gehlot. However, the losses in these states once again raised the issue of how long the youth can be asked to wait.
The blunder was once again repeated in Haryana recently where Rahul Gandhi could not have his way. As former chief minister Bhupinder Hooda called the shots, the party lost a winning election, with the result leaving Rahul Gandhi and the party cadre shocked and bitter.
With the rout, an angry Rahul Gandhi wants to have his way once again. But will he finally get his dream team? Can his protégé Nana Patole be chosen over seniors in Maharashtra? But, more importantly, will Rahul Gandhi put his foot down and choose his people? Will the likes of Sachin Pilot, Manickam Tagore, Jothimani and many like them call the shots? Will the Congress finally have the courage to make the party look and feel younger? Only time will tell.
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