How Priyanka Gandhi-Prashant Kishor are saving Congress from Rahul in UP
"When my own party has put me out to graze, what greener pastures do I look for?" So writes former Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit whose mother Sheila Dikshit, three term Delhi chief minister, is now the Congress face for Uttar Pradesh.
Dikshit's gutsy and soulful piece is a pointer to the sharp divide ripping the Congress party from within.
Dikshit in his nuanced piece made the important point that a section of the Congress "is too busy capturing the Congress, while the 'other side' captures India and its mindset".
While this is not open rebellion against Rahul Gandhi who has long wanted a purge of the old guard, Dikshit pulls no punches when it comes to hinting how the Delhi Congress presents a difficult picture to him. "It is led by a person who has consistently and directly attacked Sheila Dikshit, with his stories, innuendoes and defamatory propaganda."
He accuses him of preparing "a false synopsis of the CAG's Commonwealth report, putting in fabricated charges", and sending them to a media house even before the CAG report was published.
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| Prashant Kishor has ensured that decisions on political viability are taken with Priyanka Gandhi. |
Dikshit also wryly adds that as far as the national set-up is concerned, "I am informed that I am not particularly liked for my rebellious nature and irreverent attitude."
While Dikshit is the first senior leader who has aired his anguish, a huge section of the Congress shares his feelings. After reading the piece, a CWC member called me and said, "Earlier Rahulji had a problem with older leaders. He wanted everything for the youth but, as he himself has aged that problem seems to have disappeared".
It was a nasty jibe at the 47-year-old, but, the sting I feel was warranted.
Gandhi has used the Congress as a vehicle for several failed personal crusades such as the project of ushering in democracy in the Youth Congress. Democracy never happened, but Gandhi outgrew the Youth Congress.
Another project was to get rid of dynasts in the Congress. It was a laudable aim but, apparently Gandhi failed to see the irony in it.
Even then it was a pick and mix of dynasts. The ones he got on with were kosher; the others such as Jaganmohan Reddy, son of YS Rajasekhara Reddy, the Andhra strongman who died in a helicopter crash on September 2, 2009, and who powered the UPA to government twice, was not.
Like Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam, Rahul Gandhi simply did not like him and ignored his claims, even as another dynast, Gaurav Gogoi, son of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi was part of the "Rahul brigade".
The new Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu, where the Congress was out of government till the Supreme Court intervened, managed an audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi before he managed to meet Rahul busy with weekend plans.
Gandhi's weekends often get in the way of running the Congress. This is the main problem facing strategist Prashant Kishor, who is in charge of Congress campaign in UP and Punjab. His meetings with Rahul at the Italian Centre convinced him, I am told, that he needed Priyanka Gandhi on board.
In fact, Priyanka Gandhi may not have yet taken a formal position but is taking all the decisions for the Congress in UP.
Even Project Sheila Dikshit for UP was personally handled by "PG" as she's called in the Congress.
Sheila Dikshit had told me, as I have written before, that she had twice declined to be the face of the party in UP citing her health to Kishor and Ghulam Nabi Azad. She had conveyed her reluctance by saying that the "party had left it too late" with its decision.
I'm told Kishor and Azad turned to Priyanka who then stepped in and convinced the "reluctant candidate" and assured her that she would be by her side throughout the campaign.
Even when Dikshit set off on the bus to flag off the campaign and returned to Delhi because of a throat infection, Priyanka called her and even offered to send over some home remedies. Dikshit was back in Kanpur the next day.
The fact that Congress has named a chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh fray has no doubt caused discomfiture to BJP president Amit Shah who is now under renewed pressure to name a face. BJP is now the only major party which has not named a CM candidate.
Kishor has ensured that decisions on political viability are taken with PG. That's perhaps the reason why Congress leaders RPN Singh and Jitin Prasada, a few UP leaders and entitled scions of the "Rahul brigade" are sulking.
Kishor and PG preferred to place their faith in Dikshit and Azad, both tried and tested war horses. "Ab hamey bhojan nahi bhog bhi chahiye," says a leader involved in the UP campaign of the strategy to get upper castes on board. Raj Babbar, who left the Samajwadi Party because of his fallout with Amar Singh, was also chosen because Singh is back with the SP.
Dikshit is making all the right noises seeking alliances with all parties, especially Mayawati, with the exception of the BJP.
The PG approach marks the return to real politics to the party.
Rahul Gandhi seemed to have decided to be the poster boy of rent-a-cause, appearing and disappearing from the stage at convenience.
He seems to prefer outsiders who have recently joined the Congress and his select gang of blue bloods. This has naturally caused disaffection among veteran leaders like Ahmed Patel, Azad, Kamal Nath, P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal.
PG is rectifying the balance. Rahul favourites like Mohan Prakash and CP Joshi who were called the "non performing wonders", I am told, are out.
Chidambaram, despite a string of cases filed against him and son Karti by the government, was included in the Rajya Sabha list just two days before it was issued.
A senior leader tells me, "We should not be sending all these lawyers to the RS, but, then Modiji has been extra kind in filing cases against the Gandhi family."
The Congress is still a family firm of the Gandhis run by a diarchy but the new power duo is Rahul and Priyanka as Sonia Gandhi is trying to step away from decision-making. It's an interesting phase, admits a senior leader, "At least we are now out of coma and getting our political vitality back".
Rahul Gandhi, who is apparently fond of Sheila Dikshit, should read what Sandeep Dikshit has to say - it's a cry for help from the party which he can't afford to ignore.