Why everybody loves Rahul Gandhi in Amethi
Rahul Gandhi has earned much criticism for his leadership from many quarters but not from the constituents of Amethi. Talking to people here reveals that they believe the only problem with the Gandhi scion is he trusts too easily. And that they say has ruined his image.
Whether one believes this or not, it is certainly true that Rahul has had a communication problem at least as far as Amethi.
Earlier, he had KL Sharma as his representative in Amethi. But locals allege that Sharma quickly became better known for bad behaviour, which included insulting people and throwing them out of his office.
The same is the case with Amethi MP's current representative Chandrakant Dubey. People say he ensures that the people don't reach Rahul directly. They have many stories about him.
Ultimately, they say whatever Dubey does in Amethi will harm an "honest" and "upright" Rahul. Whether one chooses to believe this or not, Congressmen point out that the scion has many good qualities. They say that unlike other children of famous politicians, Rahul does not flaunt his lineage and remains on the whole "balanced and honest".
Unlike other politicians-namely Akhilesh Yadav-Rahul, on the whole, has dealt well with criticism. He has even put up with those who viciously attacked him after the electoral debacle, terming it "internal democracy".
Rahul's stance can be better highlighted when one compares him to his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Unlike Rahul, Priyanka - despite her popularity - has questions she needs to answer, namely her husband's Robert Vadra's business dealings.
Given the perception that Vadra misused his position as son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, it amy have been wiser for Priyanka to distance herself from the controversy. Instead, her blind support for Vadra is being seen as an electoral liability.
Also, post-polls, some in the Congress feel that Priyanka's attacks on Modi backfired. Rahul's balanced tone they say may serve the party better in the long term. Rahul clearly wins out if we compare the Congress vice president with other dynastic politicians.
UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is but a poor "photocopy" of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. Although the disproportionate assets case does not haunt the father-son duo any more, the theatrics of the Yadav family to make him the CM of UP in March 2012 was a big indication that Mulayam has little to offer people outside the family.
The young CM is also known for mistreating cabinet colleagues and journalists more frequently than expected. It's not just Akhilesh.
Jayant Chaudhary, the son of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh, is also there to prove that being a young politician doesn't mean one should be upright. Jayant has fervently supported his father's bullying style just to hold a house in Delhi's Lutyens' circuit. He has also proved on many occasions that he believes politics means power without showing any sensitivity toward voters.
Within the Congress, too, Rahul shines. People of Amethi also contrast him favourably with Milind Deora. They also also remind you of Kanimozhi, daughter of DMK chief and former CM of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi, who has already served time behind bars for her alleged role in the 2G spectrum scam.
Finally, Rahul's Amethi voters say they love him because he hugs them and their children at the cost of annoying his security personnel. He has developed a mechanism so that a large number of people of Amethi get free treatment for serious ailments in good hospitals of Delhi.