Congress’ disastrous campaign : Of Rahul, By Rahul, For Rahul - Part II

News Bharati English    04-May-2014   
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Congress’ disastrous campaign: of Rahul, by Rahul, for Rahul - Part II

By Milind Arolkar

Read: PART-I

$img_titleDerailed campaign with irrelevant issues

Rahul Gandhi’s campaign derailed thereafter. Realizing that he and his party cannot fight with the BJP on the agenda of ‘development and good governance’ Rahul Gandhi chose the way of hatred and communal appeals. In a poll rally at Tanda (HP) on March 20, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed the Lok Sabha elections as a "battle of thoughts". But ironically his Mother and Congress President Sonia held a secret meeting with Syed Ahmed Bukhari begging for muslim votes stirred row.

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On the other side, sharpening his attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi accused them of trying to usurp the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and recalled the Congress stalwart's description of RSS as "a venomous organisation" which could "finish" the country.

Rahul Gandhi faced a criminal defamation suit over his remarks on RSS in Bhivandi. In his inflammatory speech addressing the Muslim audience in Bhiwandi the Congress leader said, “RSS people killed Gandhiji.”

Rahul Gandhi and the Congress then tried to bank on Communal line using Muzaffarnagar riots as a tool.

Meanwhile on the other side Narendra Modi transformed the ‘Chai Wala’ barb against him into a highly successful campaign strategy. India enjoyed the “Chai Pe Charcha’ concept and pundits admired it most. Rahul immediately started meeting with social groups and NGO. Incidentally all the social groups were the organs of the Congress Party. But that gave the party to project Rahul as a friend of porter, workers and farmers and a message that Rahul is actually not a ‘Shehjada’ who lives a cocoon life.

Rahul’s manifesto?
The dithering Congress party showcased the party manifesto as Rahul made manifesto. Releasing the manifesto, Sonia Gandhi said that said that new system was adopted to form the manifesto and Rahul personally talked with all sections of the society.

Congress Manifesto: Borrowed wine in Old bottle!

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However manifesto couldn’t impress anyone. The half-hearted Congress party neither highlighted Manmohan Singh’s achievements nor gave him due credit. The only exercises of over projection of Rahul Gandhi make the others mere spectators.

In his book, ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’ Former media advisor to the Prime Minister Sanjaya Baru actually demonstrate how the same exercise of demeaning Congress leaders and crediting each thing to Rahul was ongoing within Congress party.

Save Rahul: Congress’ Family Campaign
$img_titleSonia Gandhi rushed to Amethi to play an emotional cord to save Rahul from the probability of the defeat. Campaigning for her son Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi struck an emotional chord and spoke about how she gave her son to the people of Amethi in 2004 like her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi who handed over her son Rajiv Gandhi to the constituency in the past.

Sonia’s visit to Amethi was significant as this was the first time she was campaigning in Amethi after a long and safe gap of 10 years. Rahul’s seat is not considered as a safe seat this time as he is being challenged by AAP’s Kumar Vishwas and BJP’s Smriti Irani.

Irritated with unexpected upsurge of Narendra Modi even after so much personal attacks like the attack on his marriage, the Congress used its last ammo: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The favorite congress campaigner Priyanka Vadra was so far at the back of the scene. She was behind each step of Rahul Gandhi’s image building. The Times Now interview of Rahul Gandhi was actually crafted and drafted by Priyanka and Ahmad Patel. But when the doubts were raised that can the Congress be able to gain at least 100 seats, the ‘Family’ left Congress campaign and started family campaign in Amethi and Rai Bareli, leaving the party dismayed.

Entry of Priyanka Vadra-Gandhi in active campaign

Priyanka GandhiEntry of Priyanka Gandhi in active campaign is not helping the Congress either. So far Priyanka Gandhi was seen talking about achievements and sacrifices of Gandhi family. A sister, campaigning for her brother and a daughter, appraising her mother. But the lost battle made her spit venom against Narendra Modi. Talking politically, Priyanka Gandhi took on Narendra Modi saying that there was no Modi wave, against which the BJP came out with the video ‘Damad Shri’ on dubious businesses of Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law and Priyanka’s hubby Robert Vadra.

The pierce and sharpest attack of the BJP against her husband made Priyanka rattled who termed the BJP, a party scrambling like rats. “They are scrambling like panic-stricken rats. I knew that they will repeat their bunch of lies. There is nothing new in it but let them say whatever they want to. I am not afraid of anyone and will continue to speak against their negative, destructive and shameful politics," Priyanka said in Raebareli. On this BJP leader Arun Jaitley lashed out at Priyanka Gandhi, saying that she lowered political discourse.

Why Family lost credentials on new turf
Journalist Burkha Dutt has shared a photo at a Pan Shop in Amethi. She tweets “This has to be my funniest moment on the trail. This panwallah in an Amethi village asks me if I'm Priyanka Gandhi!”

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To the questions on development and governance, Priyanka tells Amethians about personal attacks on her family and how Gandhi family loved them. The social media publishes pictures of Priyanka Vadra on and off campaign days. Some elements in mainstream media always tried to make Rahul, Priyanka and Sonia a larger than life figure which for all those years helped them to lure voters.

But this election is being played on a different turf. And its name is “Development and Good Governance”.

The 2014 Lok Sabha Polls are being contested for hope and for “Development and Good Governance”. Congress which always cashed on Vote Bank politics and never ever tried to contest on merits of its performance is finding it difficult to calculate on new territory.

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The hollowness in the Congress campaign and uncertainty about Rahul’s winning the seat has left the family in obscurity. The family which for so many years milked on Indian Politics is searching for a safe passage for its scion. On 19 April, referring to Robert Vadra, Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law, and the corruption allegations around him, Narendra Modi said , "An American paper has presented a new model - of having one lakh rupees and converting that to Rs. 300 crore in four years. This is the RSVP model - Rahul, Sonia, Vadra and Priyanka." The BJP has alleged and the public have believed that same RSVP model was taking the nation and the Congress party on a ride for all those years.

The current speculations are on air that Mother Sonia is insisting Priyanka to supersede Rahul in politics. The unfortunate story of Congress’ disastrous campaign in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, which was “of Rahul, by Rahul and for Rahul”, seems ending with a marginalized place for the dynastic party and it’s deceiving style of ruling in Indian Polity. On May 16, will emerge with a clear picture of the future of the Congress Party and more than that the future of its backbone, the Gandhi Family in Indian Politics.

 Read Part 1

Of Rahul, By Rahul, For Rahul: Story of Congress' disastrous campaign - Part I

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