Prime minister Manmohan Singh may make way for Rahul mid-stream, say party sources.
Though he took fast locals on the western and central lines of Mumbai’s suburban train service on Friday, Rahul Gandhi, 39, does not seem to be a man in a hurry.
But, if sources in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the party are to be believed, Gandhi’s ‘rail’ show in Mumbai could be the beginning of moves to anoint him as Manmohan Singh’s replacement in the course of time. The debate, insiders say, is whether to change the leadership in the middle of the present Lok Sabha or go in for mid-term elections, with Rahul Gandhi as future leader.
Gandhi, an MP and AICC general secretary, after his pre-2009 elections tour (christened Discovery of India) has embarked on a mission to rebuild the Youth Congress across India. Shortly after his tour of Bihar, he visited Maharashtra and then proceeded to Puducherry. An insider said, “He is going to cover the entire country.”
The goal of the organisation is to elevate Gandhi to the office of prime minister, Congress insiders say. In all probability, the change will happen mid-stream in the current Lok Sabha. A senior functionary said, “A section within the party feels when Rahul takes charge as prime minister he should have the absolute mandate of the Congress. In that sense, rebuilding of the organisation is significant — which means he will have a new team.”
But there are others who feel Manmohan Singh could pave the way for him when the time is right mid-term to ensure smooth change of guard.
Although the Congress leaders described Friday’s local train commute as a spontaneous decision, insiders maintained it was a part of the well-calculated strategy aimed at cocking a snook at Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). By taking the train, the youth leader wanted to connect to the middle and lower middle class of Mumbai, apart from raising the question: “Which Thackeray has boarded a local train till date?”
A senior leader based in Delhi said, “It reminds me of his great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru. He would always get into masses and await their verdict. Today, what Rahul did was to let Mumbai judge him through his actions.”
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