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Congress has checkmate BJP tsunami in Punjab and dhi addressed a brief press conference thanking party
the chief minister, Capt Amarinder Singh or former workers for the hard work and advising them to not to
Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh can be con- be scared of the loss “daro nahin”.
sidered democratically for the presidentship of Con- Party leaders rallied around him and convinced
gress. When there is the talk of finding a successor to him that nobody will question his leadership because
Amit Shah to head BJP in case of his induction into the that was not the reason for the electorate loss but lack
Modi cabinet, why can’t Congress look for someone of cadre, resources, inability to send across the game
outside Gandhi family? changer scheme like NAYAY amongst masses and in-
Coming back to Rahul Gandhi, to hold him solely re- fighting in the Congress party. Then the brand Modi
sponsible for the debacle would not be fair. Priyanka had been systematically and assiduously built to con-
Gandhi’s contention that her brother was abandoned test election like the Presidential election in the US.
by party stalwarts during his fight against Narendra The narrative of nationalism had changed the sce-
Modi underscores the fact that there were enemies nario in the country.
within the organisation. Indeed, Rahul Gandhi was There is no doubt that nobody will question the
like the solitary reaper, alone defending himself and leadership of Rahul Gandhi but questions over his
the party. In fact even in criticism of Modi administra- leadership would not die. His claims that Modi had
tion, he found no Congress leader joining him. been dismantled and he would not come back to pow-
There are reports that prior to the press conference er for the second time would be long debated and dis-
that Rahul Gandhi addressed immediately as election cussed by his opponents within the party and outside.
results poured in and showed that Narendra Modi Was he completely oblivious of the undercurrent and
tsunami had swept the country, there were rumours a pro-Modi wave sweeping across the nation? Does
that Congress President had decided to resign own- not that show that Rahul Gandhi has failed politically
ing moral responsibility for the debacle. His own de- vis-à-vis Modi and the BJP?
feat in Amethi at the hands of Smriti Irani had heaped After resounding victories in three state assembly
huge embarrassment on Rahul Gandhi. Unconfirmed elections, a new Rahul Gandhi had emerged who was
reports suggest that he was likely to announce his res- more confident, who faced media questions and ap-
ignation at a press conference at AICC headquarter at peared the only one to take on the PM. Yet, he failed
4 PM, but it was deferred till 5.30 pm as party leaders to forge alliances where it mattered most like in
rushed in to dissuade Rahul Gandhi. Priyanka Gandhi states like Uttar Pradesh which alone sends 80 MPs
Vadra too reached there to ask Gandhi to change his to Parliament. Indeed he was not the “Papu” of yore
decision and face the challenge. It was then that Gan- who had been made an object of mockery by the so-
cial media. even Modi stopped calling him “Papu” but
“naamdar” or dynasty. However, few considered him
even the nayaya scheme that the Prime Ministerial material.
In states like Rajasthan, the slogan during Assem-
Rahul Gandhi proposed as a bly elections held prior to Lok Sabha elections was
“Vasundhara teri khair nahin, Modi tere se bair nahin”.
game changer had few takers even the Nayaya scheme that Rahul Gandhi proposed
as a game changer had few takers with experts argu-
with experts arguing that he ing that he did not have the roadmap to implement it.
Political pundits say that more he chanted “Chowk-
did not have the roadmap to idar chor hai”, the more the damage he did to
himself and the Congress party. The allegations that
in Rafale deal for the purchase of the French-made
implement it. Political pundits jet fighters, there was corruption did not find takers.
Few believed Modi himself was corrupt. The Balakot
say that more he chanted strikes provided Modi the opportunity to come up
with a new narrative of national security.
“chowkidar chor hai” the more but the party faced both a crisis of communication
Congress issue of Nyay appeared a game changer
the damage he did to himself and credibility. The promise was made too late and
the party failed to communicate it on the ground so
and the congress party that people get the desired message. Rahul Gandhi
today confronts the
biggest political challenge of his career. The chal-

tehelka / 15 June 2019 18 www.tehelka.com