Rahul, the leader? Why not you Pranab da?

“Rahul Gandhi is going to be the new Congress leader,” said senior party leader Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday. The statement could be interpreted in several ways. One, the Gandhi scion is the party’s next prime ministerial candidate; two, Pranab himself is out of contention for the top job; three, Manmohan Singh’s days as the head of the UPA is numbered; and four, Rahul could replace an ailing Sonia as Congress chief and continue the existing arrangement where the party president back-seat drives the government. The drift in the interpretations is not hard to find. The Congress is set for a big change at the top leadership level. That Rahul is crucial in the Congress scheme of things needs no overstating. Pranab was only stating the obvious. But he left the most important questions unanswered: when? And how? The general elections are due in 2014. It might look way off but from the perspective of parties, it takes time to project a new leader and market him to the electorate. The recent developments in the BJP reflect a sense of urgency among the party’s leaders on the subject. Speculations that the Congress is getting impatient with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and that Rahul might take over have been in the air for some time. But there has been no real movement on that front. [caption id=“attachment_99998” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“That Rahul is crucial in the Congress scheme of things needs no overstating. Pranab was only stating the obvious. But he left the most important questions unanswered: when? And how? Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters”]  [/caption] It is clear by now that the Congress cannot afford to project Manmohan as its prime minister candidate. He has lost sheen as a reformer, credibility as a leader and also the middle class appeal. The party has to move on and move fast. But Rahul has shown no inclination to step in. Neither does he look inclined to shoulder serious responsibilities. Pranab is the best possible alternative to Manmohan. He is a seasoned politician, has the ability to handle crises, is acceptable to all UPA coalition partners, even to some loose NDA allies, and he is known to be a good administrator. He would take lesser time than Rahul to get into the thick of things and steer the government out of trouble. But he is not as pliable as the present prime minister, is assertive and has strong pockets of loyalty in the party, factors which could pose a threat to the Gandhi family’s grip on the party. The disastrous Narasimha Rao experiment would always be a reminder for the party. So it has to be Rahul. If he does not step in now, then when? That’s a crucial issue the party has to address. The other question is equally vital. How is the party going to project him as its leader? The overwhelming impression of him is he is happy being a backroom player. The Congress has been generous in attributing to him credit for all pro-people decisions of the government. When the government decided to release Gandhian Hazare from jail, sources in the Congress said it was due to his intervention in the matter. The pro-farmer Land Acquisition Bill has been attributed to him too. The party has been busy projecting him as a leader full of good intentions. But is that enough? A leader needs to take clear stand on issues and be efficient at communicating ideas. Rahul looks inadequate on both counts. He has done little beyond indulging in grievance politics and creating bubbles of goodwill for himself by gatecrashing into trouble areas. So far, he comes across as a left of the centre leader, espousing the cause of the dispossessed. It is easy to take that position when one is not in a position of responsibility. But as prime minister he would need to balance so many different ideological strains and different conflicting interests. Is Rahul ready for that? By all indications, no. Worse, he has no hands on experience as a minister. The Congress will need to give him an image makeover before projecting him for the top job. BJP’s Modi has set the process in motion for himself. Rahul should follow suit. The question is, when? If he is not ready, why should Pranab not get a chance?