Rahul Gandhi, the vice-president of the Indian National Congress Party, the face of the Opposition and largely the butt of many jokes in Indian politics, may soon become the president of the grand old party.
Several party seniors are in favour of this outcome. In fact, veteran Congressman and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is the first proposer in one of four sets of nomination papers that the 47-year-old leader has filed, said: "Rahul Gandhi is a darling of the Congress and he will carry forward the great traditions of the party."
However, despite the overwhelming confidence the majority of party seniors have in Gandhi’s leadership skills, this “election” (many have claimed it is no more than a coronation) has largely drawn nothing but criticism from those on social media.
It’s a rigged race
Shehzad Poonawalla, a Congress leader, has called the party's internal polls to elect its chief "rigged". In a letter to Rahul Gandhi, Poonawalla demanded that the vice-president resign from his post to level the field and enter a televised debate and "be judged on merit" rather than his surname. While he may have little support from within the party in his supposed fight for democratic values, many on Twitter seemed to also feel that the race to be party president is, in fact, rigged.
#RahulGandhi winning Congress’ Presidential election #Spoof pic.twitter.com/PoNnaY5f3d
— Hardik (@Humor_Silly) December 4, 2017
Race for the post of Congress President.#CongressPresident #IndiaWithRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/1GfUJWzJtd
— PhD in Bakchodi (@Atheist_Krishna) December 4, 2017
*Rahul Gandhi running for Congress President elections* pic.twitter.com/detkuoqb5z
— Absurd Choudhary (@ABChoudhary007) December 4, 2017
Time for #RahulRaj pic.twitter.com/IsossUfmhJ
— UnBumf (@UnBumf) December 4, 2017
Two senior Congress party leaders watching Rahul Gandhi as he files nomination to be SELECTED as Congress President. #CongressPresident #IndiaWithRahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/Ka6oUXkiAl
— PhD in Bakchodi (@Atheist_Krishna) December 4, 2017
Even if it is rigged, some felt that this is good news for the ruling party. No, really.
Exclusive photos of some BJP leaders after Rahul Gandhi files nomination for becoming Congress President pic.twitter.com/XLefpF4XuP
— Sunil (@akshaykanitkar) December 4, 2017
Many have also criticised both Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party for taking a more Hindutva stand on issues just prior to the Gujarat Assembly polls:
Favourite game of Rahul Gandhi during elections.......! pic.twitter.com/nG6PcNAmlJ
— PhD in Bakchodi (@Atheist_Krishna) November 13, 2017
Of course, there is no denying that at least this victory, even if it is by virtue of nepotism, would finally be a victory for the Congress vice-president:
All the best to Rahul Gandhi for the Congress President election. I think he’ll win this one.
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) December 4, 2017