Global hardselling by Rahul Gandhi before Congress takeover

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi’s address at California University is seen by Congress and political Delhi as part of a calculated effort to project him at the global stage ahead of his scheduled take over as president of the grand old party by October end.

Notwithstanding the BJP Congress sparring after his address, many feel Gandhi’s outing went off well, without his characteristic faux pas, apart from getting the Lok Sabha strength wrong. The wellpressed white kurta-pyjama and a clean-shaven look, topped with a Nehru jacket also showed Gandhi making conscious efforts to move on from his ‘cultivated careless’ look. His readiness to take charge must have added to his party’s relief.

Gandhi’s response to questions on his weakest point — being a dynast — by saying dynasts are a way of life in India, may have triggered a wave of criticism but he was being brutally honest given the increasing hereditary turks in Indian politics.

While naming fellow dynasts, he tactically chose to avoid his uncle Sanjay Gandhi’s wife and their son, thriving in the BJP, sparing his critics in the BJP the blues in their attack on the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. While criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approach, he contrasted the worldviews of the ‘Gandhi-led Congress challenger’ and the ‘Modi-led establishment’ in strikingly measured words. Gandhi even complimented Modi’s better communication skills.

While explaining his party’s worst electoral defeat by pointing to the incumbency burden of 10 years, Gandhi chose to be disarmingly candid in saying ‘arrogance’ cost it dearly. Such ‘glasnost’, and highlighting of his ‘perestroika’ in the Congress shows he may be finally learning to tactfully position himself. Blaming BJP propaganda for the ‘reluctant leader’ image indicates Gandhi has learnt the craft of dealing with Yorkers.

Recalling Mahatma Gandhi and underlining Congress’ original ahimsa plank was meant to rekindle the enduring global nostalgia for India’s Grand Old Party, now pitted against the BJP. How Congress regimes introduced IITs and how BJP opposed introduction of computers during Rajiv Gandhi regime was meant to tell global audiences about how his party was always reformist.

While unveiling his critique of the Modi government, Gandhi chose three Indian topics that get maximum global attention. On Kashmir, he chose to say that the Manmohan Singh government nearly crushed terrorism in the valley and blamed the NDA government and BJP-PDP alliance for ‘reviving’ it. In the aftermath of demonetisation and GST, Gandhi chose to contrast the flipside of Modi mantra of instant, decisive governance with the Congress commitment to economic reforms, rooted in inclusive and welfare approach.