Our discussion this week raises two linked questions. Is Ms Sonia Gandhi promoting dynastic rule? Will placing Rahul Gandhi in the formal Congress hierarchy help the party? These two questions merit separate treatment as they deal with two distinct issues.

Political dynasties appear to have become an integral part of the Indian political landscape.   At the time of the anointing of a ‘heir apparent’, the sophisticated defence that is orchestrated is all too familiar — the new ‘star’ is shining on the political horizon not because of the family name but because of his/her popularity among the masses. We are made to believe that the rise of the ‘yuva neta’ is a people’s choice/party choice and not for a moment linked to their political lineage. Rahul Gandhi is no exception. From the moment he decided to evince some interest in politics and was persuaded to contest the 2004 poll, his elevation to a party position was expected as the next logical step forward.

Dynastic rule to continue
Congress leaders and workers had been making fervent and frequent appeals to the ‘High Command’ to give their youth leader a responsibility and position appropriate to his status. Their prayers have finally been answered. The party is now ready for battle! Dynastic rule and succession will continue across the political spectrum as long as political parties are not forced to take steps to promote genuine and meaningful internal democracy. Most political parties in India have a ‘top-down’ rather than a ‘bottom - up’ approach to decision making. This gels very well with dynastic rule and succession. Thus, what is happening in the Congress today is a continuation of an entrenched tradition.

With a Lok Sabha election becoming increasingly a distinct possibility in the not too distant future, is Rahul Gandhi, the new mascot that the party has been keenly looking forward to project? Party leaders have already started saying that he may be projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Congress in the next poll. The last few years has been a ‘testing the waters’ phase for Rahul Gandhi. He informally captained the ‘youth squad’ of Congress parliamentarians. He made important interventions in parliamentary debates. He did participate in a few election campaigns especially in his home state Uttar Pradesh.

Rahul Gandhi to prove his mettle
There could be differences of opinion on how he reacted to both the icy chill of the waters in some locales and the unusually ‘hot’water in other political situations. He now needs to ‘wade through’ before taking the ‘final plunge’. Having been anointed General Secretary, the party would now expect a consistent and spirited performance. A lot has been written of the faux pas he made during the UP election campaign. It would be useful to record that his father too committed a few such errors even after taking over as Prime Minister. It did not, in a significant way, dent his public image as people were living to overlook those minor errors of judgment as he appeared transparently sincere and committed to the tasks on hand. The same would hold good for his son. Rahul Gandhi would now have to prove that he is capable of providing leadership to the party. His dynamism, commitment, sincerity, political acumen, leadership style and approach to important political issues will all be on test.

Challenges galore
Can he represent the hopes and aspirations of a younger generation of Congress supporters primarily and then the youth across the country. Here lies the challenge. In the days of one party domination, it was possible for a leader from the leading political family to gain support in the political space that was readily there to occupy. The picture dramatically changes in the current phase of multi-party competition.

The new leader needs to not merely galvanize the party cadres but also compete with contending political forces and win the support of the voters. The acid test for the new leader would be in the run-up to the next Lok Sabha poll. Several state assembly elections are due in this period. Will Rahul lead the party campaign? Given the intense competition that these elections are likely to witness, will the party decide to shield him from the campaign, in order to ensure that he gets no flak for the results? Such a strategy would not help in legitimizing his claims to leadership.

He has the potential to provide a new enthusiasm and dynamism to the Congress party. The next few months would be a testing time as he would be attempting to wade through the stormy waters called Indian politics.

The author,a political analyst , is the Director, International Academy for Creative Teaching, Bangalore.