Rahul Gandhi picks Rae Bareli
For a composer, Ra Ra Ra…may be a lyric but we discuss its political side. Bharat politics has its unique flavor of surprises, twists, and turns. Politicians defect from one party to another without impunity. They can contest elections even if they are in jail. Today’s headline is an interesting twist that the heir of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty is being launched for the ninth time by the erstwhile grand party Congress.
Rahul is contesting for a second parliamentary seat from Raebareli. So what? It is surprising because he has already tried his luck in Wayanad, Kerala and now contesting in Raebareli. He fears defeat in Wayanad similar to Amethi in 2019. Ironically, he has not been transparent with his constituents in Kerala. Call it deception, breach of trust, and/ or lack of his own confidence, the Congress ‘Shahzada’ and the party have lost credibility and “political morality” according to one of his opponents Annie Raja.
Why Raebareli?
According to media reports and speculations, Rahul chose Raebareli to fulfill his mother’s wish. The obedient son, indeed, complied with his mother’s wishes in the best of Bharat’s traditions and culture. The party assumes Raebareli to be the safe haven for Rahul to win which, I am afraid, is not as safe. The BJP candidate, Dinesh Pratap Singh, a former Congress affiliate, is a strong contender. He contested against Sonia Gandhi in 2019 with an impressive record of receiving 38 percent of the total votes. Suffice to say that Rahul is not Sonia who herself chose not to contest the election.
No one likes election defeat but it must be accepted with humility followed by self-introspection and a deeper analysis. When Rahul feared defeat in Amethi in 2019, a family stronghold, he ran to Kerala and got elected. The irony is that he neither learned from his defeat in Amethi nor celebrated his win in Wayanad. He should have been honest with the people of Wayanad that he was considering another contest. If Rahul had a desire to return to one of the family strongholds, Amethi or Raebareli, he should have frequently visited those constituencies since 2019.
Rahul has a different mindset. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he never faced adversities. He might consider himself superior because of his partial Italian heritage but he is not. His father was a Prime Minister but his assumption that he deserves it too is very far-fetched. He does not have the ability to govern and/ or public speaking. Political rhetoric aside, his style and propensity of badmouthing and disrespecting Modi, the Prime Minister and older in age, in public rallies are in extremely poor taste.
Rawalpindi connection?
In the third phase of elections, why Pakistan is suddenly jumping into fray. The question arises if Rahul and the Congress, love Pakistan and Muslims more than they hate Bharat and Hindus. One of the competent leaders, Acharya Pramod Krishnam said, “I think Rahul Gandhi should contest from Rawalpindi instead of Raebareli, as his popularity and demand are increasing in Pakistan.” It is important to note that he was expelled by the Congress for “indiscipline” in February 2024.
How sad that a longstanding Congress leader has such a poor opinion of Rahul. Acharya’s sensible advice for the Congress party to attend the Shri Ram’s Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya came at a heavy cost of being expelled. He also made a sensational remark, ‘Congress could soon split into Priyanka and Rahul factions.’ The forecast for a split from an insider of the party resonates well with ‘Congress-Mukta’ Bharat because of diminishing electoral wins by Congress since 2014.
It is a foregone conclusion that Narendra Modi is returning for the third term at the huge displeasure and peril of Pakistan. It is not to imply that Bharat will attack Pakistan. The latter will disintegrate itself with its continually faltering economy. The recent statements from Pakistan praising Rahul and wishing him as the next Prime Minister are tantamount to interfering in Bharat’s election. Such interference must be condemned even by the Congress leadership but none to be expected.
Rahul and his family performed Ganesh pooja in Raebareli on the day of filing the nomination. It is not because they have respect for and belief in the Hindu faith. It is merely to observe a historical artifact since Indira Gandhi first did it and won. From what I have read, Nehru had little or no affinity with Bharat, Hindu Rashtra, Sanatan Dharma, and Hinduism. The dynasty is no different except for due credit owed to Nehru for his efforts in freedom struggle. However, Bharat did not emerge from the clutches of British Raj culture during the dynasty rule. Bharat and its Sanatani renaissance truly came in 2014.
Another fact about Ra=Rahul is that he is devoid of anything about Purushottam Ram. His strong disdain for Jai Sri Ram and opposition to Ram Mandir are intense. Rahul has every right to speak against the government policies but not to engage in anti-Bharat narratives and activities, especially on foreign soil. That is why the title Ra, Ra, Ra includes Rahul, Raebareli, and Rawalpindi but distances itself from Ram and (Hindu) Rashtra in the present context.
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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Formerly, a researcher in Italy, Japan, and France, he has widely travelled and came to the US in 1978. He was a faculty and academic administrator in several different universities in PA, TX, NJ, MN, WI, and NY, and an Executive Fellow in the White House S&T Policy during the Clinton administration.
