By Sushil Kutty
Who all want Rahul Gandhi to contest from Amethi now that Wayanad has voted? Lots of people. The electorate of Amethi. The “UP Congress” has demanded that Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should be fielded from Amethi and Raebareli respectively. The Congress Central Election Committee has asked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to name Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Amethi and Raebareli. Sonia Gandhi has been roped in to recommend Rahul Gandhi from Amethi. The “final decision” has been left to Kharge.
Is that so? Just so that everybody gets it correct, the final word will be that of Rahul Gandhi. Those who think otherwise must be living in la-la land. Nothing moves in the Congress without Rahul Gandhi’s say so. That includes his own candidature. Party President Kharge knows this and so does Sonia Gandhi, who is the main reason why Rahul Gandhi throws his weight around in the Congress in the first place.
So Rahul Gandhi will decide whether he wants to contest from Amethi? From the looks of it, Rahul Gandhi is not entirely comfortable or convinced; he is happy being Wayanad’s representative. Maybe, he should think of how challenging it will be for Smriti Irani if he contests. There is no guarantee Irani will win again. What if, heart of heart, Irani is scared stiff of Rahul’s hat in the ring? The question is whether the last of the Gandhis for a long time to come is afraid of losing?
By “running away” to Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi had broken the spell of losing. Now, he might have to get used to losing all over again. Let’s not forget, the BJP has declared it will win all 80 UP seats and Amethi is a parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh with its “double-engine ki Sarkar”. The BJP will put everything at its command to defeat Rahul Gandhi. Also, Irani is no smallfry. The Congress waited for Wayanad to vote and now it has to gamble on Amethi.
A defeat in Amethi cannot be compensated by a victory from Wayanad. Rahul Gandhi’s relevance on the national stage depends on his showing in north India. Rahul Gandhi faces a difficult choice. The “final decision” will be his – his alone. Kharge can only nod in acquiescence. And whether Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be fielded from Raebareli is a “maybe” though a decision cannot wait any longer. The last date for filing nominations is on everybody’s heads. The CEC has no time to waste.
Also, what about Robert Vadra, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s better-half, who has been raring to test his electoral oats from Amethi? The focus will remain on Rahul Gandhi though. Stray reports are floating of the Priyanka-Vadra Camp waiting to make a move on Rahul Gandhi if he tastes a repeat defeat from Amethi. Is the party up for grabs? The turmoil in the Delhi unit tells a story. Even the best of best friends of the Congress haven’t a good word to say. Tickets to Kanhaiya Kumar and Udit Raj to contest from Delhi parliamentary seats are big-big mistakes?
The party, however, isn’t thinking of Delhi, for now the focus is on Amethi and Raebareli. Rahul Gandhi’s Man Friday KC Venugopal is taking care of the Delhi-shambles and he is leaving no stone unturned to ensure his hold on the Congress stays even if his manoeuvrings will leave the Congress diminished. The Congress high command appears focused on the question of fielding Rahul Gandhi from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Raebareli.
But what if the candidates are flipped – Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Amethi and Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli? Will this make a difference? Will it be a game-changer, the surprise element in a field of predictable? BJP calculations will be upset. Chances are Raebareli electorate would wholeheartedly vote for Rahul Gandhi. What will Smriti Irani have to say against Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, other than hold forth on “Parivarvaad”, if Priyanka is the Amethi candidate?
The Congress should take this opportunity to surprise and upset. This could be the last chance for the Gandhi family to make sure it retains its premier position in the grand old party. Winning Wayanad is one thing, but losing Amethi has to be undone, whether Rahul Gandhi snatches victory or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra upsets Irani, the Gandhi family has to ward off eclipse for sheer survival.
Don’t forget, Amethi and Raebareli both remain Gandhi family bastions despite the 2019 Amethi result. Sonia Gandhi vacating Raebareli for a Rajya Sabha shift didn’t look good. Since then, talk of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra making her Lok Sabha debut has been gathering steam. Question is, does the Gandhi family have the mojo to face defeat? Victory comes only to those who don’t fear defeat. The Congress is nervous. The fear of defeat is stalking the Congress. One more Rahul Gandhi loss from Amethi will be catastrophic for the Gandhi family. The Congress has been challenged. (IPA Service)
