India’s former political giant, the Congress party, carries the valuable legacy of a secular and inclusive India. Its last term of office was a disaster of inertia, for which it was hammered at the polls. But despite having only 44 seats in the Lok Sabha (Lower House), Congress can remain a potent political force if it gets the right leadership. This is why the recent two-month holiday taken by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi led to a mass of speculation over whether he was willing or fit enough to have a leadership role in the party, because the privacy of his retreat and the way it coincided with the establishment of the BJP government raised questions over his commitment and leadership.
There is no doubt that Congress needs to rebuild itself and find a new vigour, which will allow it to function as an effective opposition and position itself as a future government.
It may be that Rahul is the right man to do that, but his name alone is not enough to reassure Indian voters and the world at large that it is indeed the case.
To make his mark, he will have to demonstrate much more personal impact than he has done so far and making a speech in the comfort of New Delhi, against the government’s plans to relax the laws restricting the sale of farm land, is only a start.
Congress may use yesterday’s meeting at the Ramlila Maidan to promote Rahul as its new leader, but he will have to do a lot more to make it a reality.
