The Congress party’s “missing” vice president Rahul Gandhi was first slated to stage a comeback from his mysterious sabbatical by leading the party’s rally against the National Democratic Alliance government’s land acquisition ordinance at Jantar Mantar on March 16.
But dispirited party cadres were left stranded when the Nehru-Gandhi scion failed to turn up. Media persons were told unofficially then that instead of coming back, Rahul Gandhi had extended his sabbatical and would be back by mid-April.
On Monday, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh hinted that Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally being planned by the party on April 19 at the Ramlila Grounds to protest the government’s land bill.
Singh chose his words carefully. He began by announcing that the "Vishal Kisan Rally" will be led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and addressed by senior party leaders. When asked specifically if Rahul Gandhi will be present there, Singh shot back, “Isn’t Rahul Gandhi also included among senior leaders?”
Congress insiders said the party had booked the Ramlila Grounds for both April 12 and 19. The date was finalised only after it got the go-ahead from the “top leadership”, as the plan was contingent on Rahul Gandhi’s return from his month-long “leave of absence”.
Officially, however, the party said April 19 was picked because the Parliament is reconvening on April 20 and it wanted to put up an impressive show to remind the ruling alliance of the strong opposition to the land ordinance, which will come up for fresh passage in the budget session’s second half.
A different version
As Congress cadres look forward to the party vice president’s re-emergence, there is widespread hope that they will see a “reinvented Rahul Gandhi” who will be ready to take on the party leadership with greater resolve and commitment. “Just wait… you will see a brand new Rahul Gandhi,” remarked a former Union minister known to be close to the party vice president.
According to a Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi needed to get away after the barrage of criticism he had faced following the party’s disastrous performance in the last general election and the subsequent assembly polls. Congress leaders close to Rahul Gandhi maintain he is obviously not unaware of what people and party workers say about him.
He has been panned for his weak leadership, poor oratory and his inability to establish a connect with the masses. The Congress rank and file was miffed with him because he remained inaccessible to party workers. And most importantly, they were upset at his lack of staying power and tendency to disappear for weeks after a brief spell of political activity.
While Rahul Gandhi contemplates his future in some faraway land – some say he is in Uruguay – his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been holding the fort. She led a march of opposition leaders to protest the government’s land ordinance and has followed it up with tours to Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, where she spoke to farmers whose crop had been hit by the unseasonal rain. She is slated to visit Madhya Pradesh on April 2.
The Congress is keeping up the pressure over the land bill as it realises that the Modi government has been pushed on the backfoot as the issue has painted ruling alliance as “anti-farmer and pro-corporate”.
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But dispirited party cadres were left stranded when the Nehru-Gandhi scion failed to turn up. Media persons were told unofficially then that instead of coming back, Rahul Gandhi had extended his sabbatical and would be back by mid-April.
On Monday, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh hinted that Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally being planned by the party on April 19 at the Ramlila Grounds to protest the government’s land bill.
Singh chose his words carefully. He began by announcing that the "Vishal Kisan Rally" will be led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and addressed by senior party leaders. When asked specifically if Rahul Gandhi will be present there, Singh shot back, “Isn’t Rahul Gandhi also included among senior leaders?”
Congress insiders said the party had booked the Ramlila Grounds for both April 12 and 19. The date was finalised only after it got the go-ahead from the “top leadership”, as the plan was contingent on Rahul Gandhi’s return from his month-long “leave of absence”.
Officially, however, the party said April 19 was picked because the Parliament is reconvening on April 20 and it wanted to put up an impressive show to remind the ruling alliance of the strong opposition to the land ordinance, which will come up for fresh passage in the budget session’s second half.
A different version
As Congress cadres look forward to the party vice president’s re-emergence, there is widespread hope that they will see a “reinvented Rahul Gandhi” who will be ready to take on the party leadership with greater resolve and commitment. “Just wait… you will see a brand new Rahul Gandhi,” remarked a former Union minister known to be close to the party vice president.
According to a Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi needed to get away after the barrage of criticism he had faced following the party’s disastrous performance in the last general election and the subsequent assembly polls. Congress leaders close to Rahul Gandhi maintain he is obviously not unaware of what people and party workers say about him.
He has been panned for his weak leadership, poor oratory and his inability to establish a connect with the masses. The Congress rank and file was miffed with him because he remained inaccessible to party workers. And most importantly, they were upset at his lack of staying power and tendency to disappear for weeks after a brief spell of political activity.
While Rahul Gandhi contemplates his future in some faraway land – some say he is in Uruguay – his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been holding the fort. She led a march of opposition leaders to protest the government’s land ordinance and has followed it up with tours to Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, where she spoke to farmers whose crop had been hit by the unseasonal rain. She is slated to visit Madhya Pradesh on April 2.
The Congress is keeping up the pressure over the land bill as it realises that the Modi government has been pushed on the backfoot as the issue has painted ruling alliance as “anti-farmer and pro-corporate”.
