The buzz is more audible now and it almost sounds like “the Rahul era is beginning”.
Although Rahul Gandhi has not formally been offered a promotion in the Congress, he is widely seen as having begun to play a larger role.
He has been deeply involved in political decision-making, has increased his interventions in governance matters, and regularly receives formal briefings on national politics.
“Unlike in the past, he is not restricting himself to the activities of the Youth Congress and the NSUI (the party’s student arm). He has expanded his role and the Uttar Pradesh election is the pivotal event that will decide how soon he takes
over,” a young leader considered close to Rahul told The Telegraph.
Several seniors backed this assessment. Sources said Rahul had taken complete charge of the Uttar Pradesh campaign and was monitoring the poll strategies for Punjab and Uttarakhand too.
Some leaders, particularly the younger ones, want him clearly designated Number Two before the Uttar Pradesh polls but a more cautious lobby believes that a good showing in the crucial state would create the right opportunity for his promotion.
Rahul too understands the importance of the heartland state and has therefore cleared the option of striking alliances. Personally, though, he believes that the party needs to go it alone if it wants to rebuild its organisation in every part of the state.
The Congress is in talks with Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal. An alliance could prove formidable in western Uttar Pradesh, affecting over 100 Assembly seats.
Rahul had received credit when the Congress surprised itself by winning 21 of the state’s 80 seats in the 2009 Lok Sabha election. The general opinion, though, is that a repeat in the Assembly polls —which means the Congress winning around 150 Assembly seats on its own — will be next to impossible.
The party leadership will therefore be happy if an alliance with Ajit helps the Congress emerge a key player in a hung Assembly.
Even that will embolden the party to accelerate Rahul’s coronation and project him as the next Prime Minister, sources say. Some, however, believe that linking Rahul’s rise to the Uttar Pradesh results is fraught with risk, and so the process should begin before the elections.
Some key leaders are happy to see Rahul already shedding his reluctance to accept a wider role. Sonia Gandhi’s illness had prompted many to demand a greater role for Rahul and his induction into the government, but he himself chose a cautious approach. Sonia has now decided to stay away from the forefront of poll management for Uttar Pradesh, leaving almost everything to Rahul.
Although Priyanka will assist him in campaigning, her role will be limited, as will be Sonia’s.
Rahul, who had been operating independently without any functional relation with the All India Congress Committee set-up, has now developed his own set of advisers. Instead of relying on Sonia’s general secretaries, he looks up to the likes of Jairam Ramesh, Anand Sharma and P. Chidambaram for advice.
From Sonia’s team, Ahmed Patel remains an important element in Rahul’s scheme while Digvijaya Singh interacts with him regularly by virtue of being the general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh.
Among the younger leaders, those close to Rahul include Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitendra Singh, Jitin Prasada, R.P.N. Singh, Pradeep Jain, Sachin Pilot, Ravneet Singh, Meenakshi Natrajan, Ashok Tanwar, Sanjay Nirupam and Milind Deora.
Some senior leaders, who fear being dropped from the high command structure during this process of transition, are scrambling to somehow get closer to Rahul. But access to him is restricted.
Members of the Rahul Brigade, on the other hand, want faster and complete transition. They feel that those who have played their innings should step aside and let a new Congress emerge.
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