Surprised Cong wants Rahul to stay consistent

The biggest takeaway for the Congress from the Budget session of Parliament was a vocal Rahul Gandhi.

However, a section of the party leaders contend that the outfit would stand to gain if he extends the same enthusiasm to the organisation.

Reeling under successive electoral losses, senior party leaders feel that Rahul should interact more with district presidents and functionaries who visit the capital.

“Congress president Sonia Gandhi meets party workers regularly, but it is still difficult to get an appointment with the vice president,” a Congress Working Committee member said.

The 44-year-old leader faced flak from within the party and became a butt of ridicule by detractors for his mysterious 56-day sabbatical that was announced on the eve of the Budget session.

Since his return from “leave of absence”, Rahul’s complete turnaround has come as a pleasant surprise for the Congress and for the ruling BJP.

Rahul’s lack of interest in Parliament–he had spoken only thrice in his two terms as MP–had earned him the sobriquet of the “reluctant prince”.

Five strong interventions in the Lok Sabha in the last three weeks, travelling by train to meet farmers in Punjab and padayatras in Maharashtra and Telangana have brought a new sense of optimism in the Congress but skeptics within the party believe the euphoria was yet to reflect in the organisation.

“We are getting space in the media, but ground realities are different. Rahul should begin frequent interactions with the party cadre. It sends a positive message to the organisation and lifts the morale of the workers,” another leader said.