Can Rahul Gandhi single-handedly handle a fight against veterans?-Jan 2, 2012

Can Rahul Gandhi single-handedly handle a fight against veterans?Rahul Gandhi

41 years, Congress General Secretary

This year is the acid test for Rahul Gandhi's political career. If the Congress does really well in UP elections, that means 80-100 seats, he will be the star and anything is possible, including early general elections, his assuming party or even government leadership. But if the Congress turns in a really poor show in UP, there may be loud whispers about the Nehru-Gandhis in the party. Given the Congress party culture, those whispers would qualify as a major questioning of the current leadership.


Published: Monday, Jan 2, 2012, 10:30 IST

By Deepak Gidwani | Place: Lucknow | Agency: DNA

A five-day campaign by Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh immediately after the announcement of the election schedule, capped off with an impressive rally in the Muslim-dominated Saharanpur has clearly put the Congress in the lead in the election campaign in UP.

Even as Rahul Gandhi steals a march over his rivals, the question political observers are asking is whether the Gandhi family scion can handle the fight single-handedly against veterans like Mulayam, Mayawati and a galaxy of BJP leaders.

Already, the Congress is finding itself in a fix over the ticket distribution. There is wide-ranging dissatisfaction in the party rank and file over a large number of tickets being given to outsiders who have just joined the party on the assurance of an election ticket. Party sources say Rahul has asked for a review in about 50 constituencies. Sources say observers have already been sent to these areas and are supposed to file their reports early next week.

UP Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi confirmed this, saying some candidates may have to be replaced. “In some cases, we are getting fresh information about candidates which we didn’t have earlier. At other places, candidates may be changed because of their poor campaign. We will do whatever is necessary to ensure we have winnable candidates in place,” she said.

The Congress Party has stumped its rivals in west UP by striking a deal with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) for which it is reported tobe leaving 45 to 50 seats. The party also declared 271 candidates before the announcement of elections. This was also a pleasant surprise for party leaders as, normally, the Congress is the last to finalise its candidates’ list. The BJP has declared 143 candidates, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has declared almost all its candidates while the BSP is still in the process of finalizing its list.

Mayawati has, in fact, shocked many in the BSP by replacing as many as 110 sitting MLAs. This includes 20 ministers who have been sacked from the government on various charges, 15 of them in quick succession over the past two months alone. A record of sorts in UP’s history, this is seen as Mayawati’s desperate attempt to ward off the anti-incumbency factor.

As of now, neither the BSP nor the SP or BJP have been able to begin their election campaign. BJP president Nitin Gadkari is expected to formally start the party campaign but no one here seems to know when. On Saturday, Mayawati announced at a party co-ordinators’ meeting that she would address just one public meeting in each district. But her itinerary is yet to be drawn up.

Rahul Gandhi is, meanwhile, planning the fourth round of his campaign in UP. Party sources say his next foray could begin on next Saturday from Gorakhpur.