From Yogi to Rahul: Priya Sahgal’s ‘The Contenders’ explores prospects of India’s new-gen political leadership

What is common among Rahul Gandhi, Yogi Adityanath, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, Omar Abdullah, Milind Deora, Jayant Choudhury, Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Asaduddin Owaisi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Anurag Thakur? A lot, says author and award-winning news anchor Priya Sahgal, who thinks this set of relatively young politicians, pedigreed dynasts, chief ministers of states are the ‘contenders’ to lead India in the future.

Is Yogi Adiyanath’s rise a part of a plan, or is he a genie unleashed? What is it about current Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that makes him indispensable to whichever party he belongs to? Can Jyotiraditya Scindia and Anurag Thakur maintain their momentum and panache in a very competitive BJP? Sahgal’s work tries to answer questions across the political spectrum. Readers are looking for some plausible and interesting answers to whether Rahul would ever come out of his existential chakravyuha or how Sachin Pilot and Priyanka Gandhi are navigating their politics in a party where individual power is poison.

In The Contenders: Who Will Lead India Tomorrow [Simon & Schuster 2024], Sahgal blends the racy political account with many anecdotes and lesser-known factors about these politicians. In fact, Sahgal’s book is a real treasure trove of tales and stories that are covered in the mainstream media. Jayant Choudhury, grandson of former Prime Minister Charan Singh, for instance, is constantly pestered for not having a son. Happily married with two dotting daughters named Sahira and Ilesha, Jayant told Sahgal, “A lot of my constituents are worried that I do not have a son. The older women keep giving my wife ‘advice’ on how to have a son, and once I got a call from a man in Vaishno Devi who had the head priest on line to give me blessings for a son.”

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Himanta Biswa Sarma, in Sahgal’s assessment, is constantly trying to fill the “RSS-shaped hole in his CV”. The host of the country’s major political talk show, Round Table, says not having a Sangh Parivar background is a major drawback for Himanta. “Realising this, Himanta is only too eager to display how quickly he has assimilated the saffron worldview. He is the first to support all of the RSS’ pet projects, from the controversial Citizens Amendment Bill to the Uniform Civil Code. His speeches are as polarising as those of Yogi.”

Interestingly, Sahgal insists that Himanta misses having a dependable number two in the Assam government. This assertion based upon Sahgal’s constant interactions with the Assam chief minister is a bit intriguing because Himanta was a restless number two in both Tarun Gogai and Sarbananda Sonowal’s chief ministerships.

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Akhilesh Yadav, Sahgal enlightens, fancies his crooked nose as his “good luck charm”. Akhilesh sustained the injury while playing football at the football ground of Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE) in Mysore. Apparently, his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, took him to a doctor, who asked Akhilesh if he was married. After ascertaining that he was married, the doctor ruled out surgery, saying, “jaane do [let it be]”.

Sahgal reminds us that the only other politician with a broken nose was Indira Gandhi, so Akhilesh is not wrong in viewing his crooked nose as a ‘good luck charm’.

Contrary to popular belief, Akhilesh is optimistic about INDI Alliance prospects in 2024 and pitches himself as an “opening batsman”. This was in response to Sahgal’s query that if I.N.D.I.A. bloc was a cricket tie against the BJP-NDA, who would be the opening batsman? Pat came the reply, “The opening batsman will be me, of course. Who is going to wait for someone else to open?” Is this reply a message to Team Rahul Gandhi?

The best part of Sahgal’s writing is that she listens but does not judge. As a senior political journalist, Sahgal has interacted with most of these politicians since their political debuts. She chronicles conversations that bring out their strengths, weaknesses, and quirks. Her style is easy and conversational, while the lively portraits are both sharp and engaging.

The author is a Visiting Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation. A well-known political analyst, he has written several books, including ‘24 Akbar Road’ and ‘Sonia: A Biography’. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.