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The Rising Cult of Rahul Gandhi

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Scion of the oldest and most influential political dynasties of India, Rahul Gandhi, had the weight of India’s expectations on him. Despite the odds stacked against him, he has managed to rise as the leader of the opposition. His new cult status warrants a deep dive. 

 

Our story begins in the run-up to the 2014 general elections. Rahul Gandhi, who had been a “part-time politician” of sorts, was the face of Congress’s fight against Modi. RaGa was set to inherit all of India’s frustrations with the Congress party. Issues with the party’s functioning and rampant corruption stoked the embers of frustration; the rising debate against nepotism only added fuel. An India in the trenches of international PR and general morale yearned for a leader who would return her to glory. 

 

Narendra Modi, a leader of humble beginnings, was the alternative. People saw in him the promise of realising India’s potential in all matters global, economic, and internal. Faced with the charm and political prowess of the two-time Gujarat chief minister, it was to no one’s surprise that Congress suffered a crushing blow in the election. 

 

The onus then fell on Rahul to prove to the people that he could still lead a strong opposition to the government. Spoiler: He did not. His repeated political missteps proved to the people how out of touch he was with the pulse of India’s needs. Opportunities came and went, but he failed to capitalise. In the initial stages of Modi’s government, when dissent was still tolerated, protests raged across the country, yet the Congress, then virtually led by Rahul Gandhi, managed to fumble the strong buttress. 

 

Monikers and tags were being thrown around—Pakistani, terrorist, anti-national—and in this giveaway, RaGa managed to snag one for himself—hilariously and demeaningly short pappu. 

 

The meme factory worked overtime to roll out messages, videos, and WhatsApp forwards about how Congress’s Raja Beta (darling son) had proven himself to be India’s favourite jester. His incompetence was a gift that kept on giving. The Congress had created a self-feeding mechanism where they only needed to do the bare minimum before loyal Modi supporters would rush to delegitimize their accusations. 

 

But you didn’t click on this article to read a hilarious and scathing run-down of what went wrong. No, you’re here to understand what went right. 

 

Tired of the opposition’s lack of sustained dissent, the people of India decided to take it upon themselves to put up a fight. The farmer’s protest, frustrations with how the pandemic was handled, rising communal tension, and an overwhelming insecurity among the youth regarding unemployment, and the tensions in Manipur were triggers. Prime Minister Modi’s resolve to never address these issues contributed heavily. He was no longer the messianic leader from before. The people saw in him a cold, calculating, and ruthless sovereign.

 

This alienation left a cold void that Rahul Gandhi rushed, walked to fill. 

 

The Bharat Jodo Yatra was a milestone in contemporary Indian politics. Roughly 4,080 kilometres long and spanning the states of Kerala to Jammu-Kashmir, this yatra was a means for Gandhi to win the people’s confidence. Dressed as one of the masses, Rahul Gandhi cut out the middleman and delivered democracy to people’s doorsteps. In him, the public began to see a man who was willing to shed his comforts, a contrast to the Prime Minister, who after two terms in office had fashioned a soot-boot ki sarkar. To Congress’s credit, the momentum from the march was not allowed to die. A second edition of the yatra was announced, now titled the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which sought to cover Manipur to Maharashtra.

 

Despite these efforts, a scattered Congress knew that it couldn’t hope to stand against the leviathan BJP-led NDA. It sought to pack a punch with a ragtag team of estranged parties, who decided to put aside their differences to defeat the big evil. INDIA, or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, was supposed to thwart the BJP’s third consecutive term. The parties had realised (perhaps a bit too late) that their differences meant the splitting of the opposition vote. INDIA was a way to remedy that. 

 

The tea leaves foretold a possible rise to power. Against all odds, Rahul Gandhi had managed to change the public’s perception of him. The “If not Modi, then who?” question now had a clearer answer.

 

Just four months ago, the historic 2024 election results came out. BJP won just 240 seats, 32 less than the requirement for a single majority, and about 160 less than the 400 paar claim. Congress rose as an underdog and won 99 seats, officially securing its opposition status after ten years. Rahul Gandhi, the titular lead of this article, won from the Wayanad constituency and was hailed as the leader of the opposition. 

 

The two months since this drastic shift in power dynamics have not been without their share of drama. Just weeks into the new parliamentary session, Gandhi hit multiple nerves over his speeches in the house. In the maiden speech itself, he accused the BJP of misappropriating the Hindu religion and forgetting its values of ahimsa and tolerance. From the Chair of the House to the Home Minister and the big boss—the Prime Minister himself—everyone was livid. Enquiries were made and debates were launched over Gandhi’s remarks, yet he only offered a collected response, and did not fall into the semantics of it all. 

 

2024 has seen Rahul Gandhi grow into his own as a true leader worthy of consideration. Work during the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections aside, the politician now has the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections in his sight. Rahul Gandhi is campaigning in the states of Haryana and Jammu-Kashmir to consolidate support and moreover, consolidate his image as the leader of opposition. Though the BJP managed to persevere through the General Elections this time, it was a pyrrhic victory at best. Gandhi, with his state election campaigns, seems to be in the mood to remind the public of that fact, to remind them that the powers that be, are not as infallible as they had seemed. 

 

In a rally in Srinagar, Rahul Gandhi was quoted as saying, “…before the Lok Sabha elections, people used to say that Narendra Modi has a 56 inch chest, no one says that now. The mood of the country has changed. Earlier, he used to talk with confidence, but now the INDIA bloc has broken the psychology of PM Narendra Modi.” 

 

RaGa seems to be riding on the wave of INDIA’s show at the election, and the new-found confidence has invigorated people’s faith in him (perhaps his faith in himself too). His strategy seems to be one of recounting the injustices suffered to the people of Jammu and Kashmir; he brought up the change in status as the former state has now turned into a Union Territory. Promising to the people that should Congress be brought to power, they will prioritise the reinitiation of JnK as a state. The ploy is to make the people realise that they have an alternative, one who has the pulse of the people’s wants better than a doctor. 

 

His work in Haryana also begs notice. Rahul Gandhi extensively toured the length and breadth of the state; with over half-a-dozen rallies and road shows, he aims to prove that he can lead just as successful of a vanguard as in the Lok Sabha elections . “BJP ja rahi hai, Congress aa rahi hai” (BJP is losing, Congress is winning), was his battle cry. Mr. Gandhi in his passionate speeches never missed a chance to hit the BJP in its tightest nerve with accusations of crony capitalism and attempts to destroy the spirit of the constitution. In turn, he reiterated his party’s guarantees of  ₹2,000 monthly assistance to women and providing cooking cylinders for ₹500. 

 

The BJP called to its defence the Prime Minister himself and the ever-reliant Mr. Yogi. Never to be underestimated (recent pyrrhic victories notwithstanding), the dynamic duo is BJP’s strongest ace. It’s a strategically sound choice to bring them in when faced with such an onslaught. Though what the BJP fails to notice is that the arrival of these players grants Mr. Gandhi’s opposition more legitimacy than is good for the reigning party. The Prime Minister’s involvement is an acknowledgement of the fact that the party is insecure of its standing and wants to leave no stone unturned to gather support. 

 

We are thus at a curious point in Indian politics where a politician once scorned and mocked has made the rebound of the century and now stands between the centre and absolute power. 

 

The leading party is still just as harsh and his critics remain as is. However, the tag pappu is nowhere to be seen. Even the staunchest rival cannot begrudge him in his victory. From riches to rags, and then back to riches, Rahul Gandhi has created a cult following for the history textbooks. 

 

Read Also: Rahul Gandhi and His Changed Style of Politics 

 

Featured Image Credits: The Hindustan Gazette

 

Anvesha Tripathi

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Rahul Gandhi’s Tryst with Destiny: The Revival of the Last Gandhi

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Sorry, the old RaGa cannot come to the PressCon right now. Why? Oh, cause he’s dead. Let’s explore his journey from the Prince of Political Dynasty, to Pappu, and then Beyond.

Perhaps one of the most interesting things about the General Elections of 2024 was the escalated and expeditious participation from Generation Z, a large strata of whom finally got a direct vote in the election of the Government. This participation was also rooted in the Twitteratis and their constant political pundit-esque commentary that remained persistent throughout this apparent festival of democracy. From the viral “Dimple Bhabhi Hatiye…” tweet to the pookie-fication of Narendra Modi, nobody escaped the brunt of the internet folks. A leading player in the battle for the seat of prime minister was Rahul Gandhi, who displayed a staggering transformation. From him being posted to the edits of ‘Daddy’s Home‘, his subsequent babygirlification and portrayal as the Batman of Indian political scenario et.al., RaGa seemed to be a Twitter favorite; pre, midst, and post the election season. And this, comes as a surprise for someone who has long been ridiculed by both, the politicians and the masses, as ‘Pappu’.

When the National Democratic Alliance, on its third subsequent win, boasts about a new era of Modi 3.0, it is notable that this also embarks the beginning of RaGa 3.0. Something that is even more remarkable is how every epoch of his political career draws a direct parallel to the state of the current opposition in the country. In retrospect it might appear to be a vague statement, however, this opinion piece attempts to substantiate the same, and for that, the political trajectory of Rahul Gandhi needs to be analyzed in a trifactorial manner.

In a political climate that was being conditioned for Priyanka Gandhi to be the new face of the Indian National Congress, with the re-emphasization of her parallels to Indira Gandhi, the launch of Rahul Gandhi as the face of INC was a rather unanticipated change for the politicians and the masses alike. In a direct parallel to Rajneeti (the 2010 Prakash Jha Directiorial’s) Samar Pratap, played by Ranbir Kapoor, ‘a foreign returned relatively less-known to-and-of the political scenario‘ heir was placed into the position of a party supremo. However, that is where the parallels end, while Samar goes on to become a force to reckon with, RaGa displayed a relatively inconsistent political profile. His political prowess at that time focused largely upon as the ‘uniter’ of the nation, working on reducing the caste and religion-based divisiveness in the country. Subsequently, he won from the ancestral seat of Amethi and was popularised as the Yuva Neta, and harbinger of justice, by the media. However, despite this popularised imagery that he had cultivated around himself, he refused to hold positions of power within the INC and rather struck to the youth wings. The launch of RaGa drew a parallel into the INC as it witnessed a rejuvenation of the Gandhi Parivaar within the leadership positions, after 14 years of absence, albeit in an indirect mannerism with Manmohan Singh being the Prime Minister then.

Post the smooth and apparent surged political prowess, the era of Rahul Gandhi 2.0 comes into play with the elections of 2014 and beyond; the General Election of 2014, posed a drastic change in the climate of the Indian Political Scenario, wherein the 10-year streak of the INC was fiercely shattered by the National Democratic Alliance and its figurehead, present Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The dramatic downfall of the INC marked the beginning of RaGa as the undisputed King of Bloopers and the face of Indian Political Memes, the person who was hailed as the Prince of the Politically Dynastic Gandhi Parivar was now ridiculed as ‘Pappu’, and worse. The lack of a proper redressal mechanism from the INC upon the same, and RaGa’s subsequent infamous statements like the ‘potato-gold‘ alchemy theory, the hug in the parliament, misgendering of the Speaker, et.al., cemented the NDA alliances claim of the ‘Shehzada’, in attempts to mock his lack of proper developmental work despite the privilege he was equipped with. A subsequent political debacle also surrounded the Indian National Congress, as it witnessed the lowest-ever tally of 44 seats post the 206-seat mark they achieved in 2009.

Post the 2019 stint of the National Democratic Alliance, and its subsequent chants of Abki Baar, 400 Paar; the public expectation from the erstwhile political bigwig declined, and an absolute majority of the present ruling party was largely accepted and anticipated. Despite the anti-heroic downfall that the INC witnessed, he kept walking (quite literally) and conducted two Nyay Yatras, which is speculated to have become a source of connection between the common man and the INC, and the reason for its subsequent victory in certain places. His newfound oratory skills and social media tactics labeled RaGa as the herald of the change of the apparent de-Modicisation and Democratization of the country. The connection that he attempted to build at a grassroots level, and better redressal skills, led to a surge in the INDIA vote bank, and a subsequent declination in the expected votes for the NDA.

However, RaGa’s relatively newer 3.0 trajectory did not stop there, the 1st July speech in the parliament, ended the era of his silence and negligence regarding the political climate and the flaws of the NDA, as he delivered a speech outlining the very same. The Speech won him further accolades over social media, as the netizens proclaimed that the tectonics of the Indian Political Scenario witnessed a shift that day, the void of an improper Leader of Opposition seemed to be filling. This is followed by his recent visits to places that have been impacted by violence and improper governance like Manipur, Assam, site of Hathras Stampede, loco pilots of Delhi, et.al. This is a clear indication of a political consistency, which he is infamously unknown of. The transition from Pappu to the Leader of Opposition, depicts a shift in the political ball game of the country, a probable subdued indication of the resurgence of the INC, and a new arena into his political trajectory. However, it remains long to be seen whether this political conundrum turns out to be a sham, or has Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally found an able competitor.

Read Also: Saffron Politics: A Path To Majoritarianism

Featured Image Credits: X

Shikhar Pathak

[email protected]

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Campus Central

NSUI to Pay First-Year Fee of Children of Slain Soldiers and Farmers

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NSUI’s offer to bear expenses, expressed in a press release made by NSUI on 19th June, was made on the occasion of the birthday of Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

The student wing of the Congress, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), has decided on a move to pay the first-year fees of the children of late soldiers and farmers who are taking admission in the University of Delhi. The offer, expressed in a press release made by NSUI on 19th June, was made on the birth anniversary of Congress President, Rahul Gandhi.

“NSUI has made a plan to take an important step to serve the families of the Army on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Congress President Rahul Gandhi Ji. NSUI wants to help and provide services to the children of the family of martyred army, security force [sic]. For this, NSUI wants to pay one year fee for the children of martyrs who are going to take admission in Delhi University this year,” the press release stated.

Calling out the “unfortunate and painful” manner in which the army had been “politicized” by “all the parties” in the “past few days,” the press release said that the NSUI was “standing in every way with the families of those soldiers.”

The press release further said, “The National Student’s Union of India [sic] is also standing with the families of the farmers, who had to commit suicide due to non-payment of loans to the banks. NSUI also wants to pay fees of the children of those farmers.”

The process for the same requires students to register on the email [email protected], following which the National Committee of the NSUI will verify the students’ details.

NSUI National President Neeraj Kundan was quoted by ANI as saying that the party will reimburse the students’ fee in case they had already submitted it to the University, while also adding that the programme “reverberated” Rahul Gandhi’s thinking.

When asked about whether the decision was taken in view of the student polls, Kundan was quoted as saying that the organisation wanted to forward it’s leader, Rahul Gandhi’s ideas instead of just cutting a cake on the occasion of his birthday.

DU Beat tried contacting Saimon Farooqui, the National Secretary of NSUI for a comment, but he was not immediately available.

In our view, while no political move can be separated from the idea of seeking votes or at least, acquiring votes as a byproduct of even a desirable move, political parties often act in subtle ways to expand their reach over the masses. While it is not clear what kind of information will be sought by the NSUI for the programme in question here, a reasonable expectation would be that information such as mobile numbers and other contact details will not be used by the party to reach out to the registrants – such that it does not become a political tool. But voting for a party as per one’s own judgement is, of course, a right available to all.

Feature Image Credits: ANI

Prateek Pankaj

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Rahul Gandhi and His Changed Style of Politics

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Rahul Gandhi, who was for long treated as fodder for political jokes, seems to have dynamically changed and challenged the naysayers, in his recent fiasco at the parliament. 

Rahul Gandhi has been an interesting figure in Indian politics. He is a media favourite, his smallest of actions carefully dissected and disseminated for public scrutiny. On Friday, 20th of July, what Rahul Gandhi did took the nation by surprise. The no-confidence motion and the visuals it offered, have fascinated the country even today, almost two-weeks later. While it was clear the Bharatiya Janata Party  (BJP) had the numerical strength but it was an unsatisfactory one. The motion itself was nothing special but the action of the Amethi MP and Congress president Rahul Gandhi created a perfect digital moment which went viral, triggered conversations and has already become a trending meme. The nation is well aware how fond our Prime Minister is of hugs. It seems Mr. Gandhi decided to beat him in his own game.

The hug has received both criticism and accolades but one thing can be said for sure that the Congress has learnt the importance of “symbolism and imagery “which is a key tool for a politician in the digitalised world today. So one could come up with a few explanations for the hug. It may have been an attempt to project the ruling party leaders as aggressors. Modi has often weighed down the opposition leader under his Nehruvian- Gandhi legacy. Maybe Gandhi’s hug could pre-empt the Prime Minister’s and other BJP leaders’ personal attack on him and his party in the course of the debate during the no-confidence motion.

The act could have been a tongue in cheek jibe at Modi’s act of hugging eminent political leaders in his attempt to establish cordial international relations with them. While the foreign policy at this moment is in shambles, his act may have been a clever attempt to remind the country about the government’s failure at this front. One might call it a shady move to highlight a contrast between the ideologies of the BJP/Sangh Parivar and the Congress. The Congress has often accused the Sangh of spreading the ideology of hatred and “angry hindutva” whereas the party asserts that its ideology stands for love and inclusiveness, especially in light of the recent incidents of killings and mob lynching of the poor and marginalised sections of the society.

Although there’s no denying that the hug was awkward, bizarre, unnatural, and most un-parliamentary.  Rahul Gandhi invited a well-deserved rebuke from the speaker. He was finally put in his place, by defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Hugging the prime minister might make a mockery of parliamentary rules, decorum and regulations, but it ensures that for once, people will keep talking about Rahul instead of Modi. One cannot deny it was a political masterstroke.

It is impossible to find out whether the hug was impromptu or a well-planned move.  It would be to much of an exaggeration to state that a hug would completely change congress fortunes in the 2019 elections though. While this “hugoplomacy” might get congress media attention a serious change in campaign and policy strategies is what congress needs at this hour.

Feature Image Credits – NDTV

Bhavika Behal 

[email protected] 

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Bazinga

Bazinga: Politicians stay in DU hostels to know student problems

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Disclaimer: Bazinga is a fake news story,manufactured for people with a good sense of humour like ours. Spreading it around as news will only get you warts all over your body.

Politicians, eyeing polls, are trying to feed their student vote bank some fodder by spending nights in their hostels. As Rahul  Gandhi reached a hostel in North Campus, he was greeted by students waiting to welcome him. Addressing the media which was all over the place to catch a glimpse of the young politician, Gandhi said, “These students have continuously been ignored by the policy makers of the nation. These farm- err… students are an integral part of our human resource. Tonight, I will spend the night in this hostel, eat what these students eat, drink what these students drink, and tomorrow I will make a speech in parliament after knowing the problems of these students.” The students put a pair of headphones (a popular replacement of garlands) around Rahul’s neck as a token of respect,and guided him through the freshly cleaned floors of their hostel.

We also received reports of BJP leader Sushma Swaraj staying a night in a girls hostel of University of Delhi. We couldn’t reach Mrs. Swaraj before she went inside the hostel because she was trying to maintain a low profile, but what later started flooding Instagram and Facebook newsfeeds were ‘selfies’ of female students with Sushma in all poses possible with the popular hashtag, #justgirlythings. It was clear from the pictures that the senior BJP leader has indeed learnt how to pout. “It’s a totally different lifestyle these girls follow. We all have a lot to learn from them, Mrs. Swaraj tweeted in the morning. Meanwhile, an AAP leader could not be contacted for any comment on his stay in a college hostel as students were making him clean the tiles and floors of the building, given AAP’s ‘sevak’ nature.

Disclaimer: Bazinga is a fake news story,manufactured for people with a good sense of humour like ours. Spreading it around as news will only get you warts all over your body.

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