Rahul to be face of Congress

Although the Congress claims that its 2004 aam aadmi slogan, which caught the imagination of voters and propelled the United Progressive Alliance to power, will remain the centre of its ad campaign, there is no mistaking the projection of Rahul Gandhi as the main bait this time.

He may not be the party’s prime ministerial candidate in the polls, but he is definitely the party’s future. Change with continuity, continuity with change. The message used to sell Rajiv Gandhi in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984 has resurfaced to package Rahul as the face of tomorrow.

The target audience of the campaigns is clearly youth. With an estimated 40% voters in age group of 18 to 30, this is an important segment to catch. It may be easier to package Rahul (38) as the harbinger of change but the Bharatiya Janata Party is doing its best to match the Congress through the Internet.

The general theme of BJP’s campaign will be ‘suraksha, sushasan and vikas’ (security, good governance and development). It will run at the national and state levels. Advani will be the BJP’s national face.