Rahul Gandhi: A leader in waiting who is yet to be tested

Rahul Gandhi has legacy and charisma on his side, but until he steps up his role to take on governance and party management, the jury will be out on whether he can provide new leadership to the Congress.

The chattering classes may frown at dynastic politics. But in the Hindi heartland, the popular adage is that a halwai’s son also becomes a halwai (maker of sweets). So, nobody questions Rahul Gandhi being in politics. His ancestors — Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi — were prime ministers for 48 out of India’s 63 years of Independence. Moreover, his mother had the opportunity to become the PM six years ago, but spurned the offer, choosing someone from outside the family. Few doubt, however, that sooner or later, Rahul Gandhi will don the mantle.
In fact, many believe he should become prime minister right away, pointing out that his father Rajiv became PM at the age of 40 years and two months, whereas Rahul is currently 40 years and seven months old.
But Rahul himself has scorned such suggestions, describing himself as a “young politician who has a lot to learn”. Most Congressmen agree that Rahul is indeed a “curious learner” who is in no hurry to become PM, though rumours keep floating that he might replace Manmohan Singh half way through the present term (the latter half of next year), or he’ll only take charge after the next elections (due in May 2014).
Good intentions
“He is learning about the people of India, their ways of life, and their conditions. He is learning about the conditions the tribals live in and how the poor manage their affairs,” says an MP who has travelled along with Rahul to villages in central India.
Perhaps it is these journeys that have made Rahul realise that even if he were to become PM, he will be in no position to bring about the changes that he’d like to, without first improving the delivery systems. “We may not admit it publicly, but we know that there is a lot that is rotten within the party and the government. The Sonia Gandhi-Rahul Gandhi generation has to do the cleansing act. The earlier generations carried on because of the goodwill of the post-Independence period. All that had vanished by the time Sonia Gandhi took over, and now the imperative is to build everything anew,” says a Congress general secretary.
Reality check
That the Congress party has a long way to go was thoroughly reinforced by the drubbing the party received in the Bihar elections, highlighting the fact that the party was in no position to mount an effective challenge in that state even with Rahul’s backing. Party leaders say the plight of the Congress in many other states is no different. 
Rahul is aware that without a proper party structure that can convert his charisma into votes, the Congress will consistently draw a blank. But after six years as MP, he remains untested when it comes to actual governance and organisational issues. Right now, it appears that he is uncomfortable at the way things are, but no one has a clue about what changes he wants to bring in. And of course, it is anyone’s guess on how he’ll turn out when dealing with party issues.
“If there is an element that he has to be wary about, then it is the typical Congressmen. Rajivji took a long time before he got to know the nuances of these people, and he was really ready for the game only after a stint in the opposition,” says an MP who has observed both Rajiv and Rahul from close quarters.
Congress insiders insist he is clear in his thinking and approach. They point to the WikiLeaks saga where he was quoted as saying that Hindu terror poses a bigger threat to India than the Lashkar-e-Taiba. The Congress party was unsure how to react, until Rahul got it to issue an official statement reasserting his statement.
Rahul has the luxury of a few more years before he is tested. It is in the next general election that Rahul will have to prove that with his dynastic backing, he is able to bring victory to the Congress. The ultimate test of course is to meet the tremendous expectations of the people from a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family.