The existential dilemma of being Varun Gandhi

The last few days have seen much speculation over Varun Gandhi's recent comments, which are a thinly veiled attack on the Narendra Modi government. Sidelined by the Modi-Shah dispensation, Varun has been consistently critical of some of his own party's policies but, of late, seems to have ratcheted up his attack.

Is the end game in sight? Especially given that Varun's comments against divisive politics of hate seem to be very much in tandem with his cousin Rahul Gandhi's script. This has led to some media speculation as to whether Varun is extending an olive branch to his father's party, and whether he will be joining Rahul's Bharat Jodo Yatra as it enters Uttar Pradesh. Is that the first step of his joining the Congress?

But it is not as simple as that. There is also the other side. Would Varun be welcomed in the Congress, for this is not the first olive branch he has extended to the other side, but he is yet to get an official invite. Earlier it was speculated that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi were not keen to allow another heir apparent to join the family enterprise, especially one with much more ambition and drive than Rahul. But now, with the Bharat Jodo mileage on his CV, Rahul seems more confident about his own place within the party. In fact, when asked if Varun had been invited to join the yatra, Rahul replied that everyone was welcome, but won't Varun have a problem with his own BJP colleagues if he walked with him? The answer was politically correct, but the one-size-fits-all reply lacked the crescendo of a Kumbh Mela-style ending of two brothers uniting.

Read | Cong must make non-BJP parties feel respected: Rahul Gandhi

More on Rahul's reply later. First, let's get a perspective on Varun's comments, for his politics has not been consistent. As a side note, I recall that Varun had authored his debut book of poems over two decades ago - The Otherness of Self. This seems apt to describe his political legacy, where he is often described as The Other Gandhi. But there cannot be the Other, without the One. What is the One for Sanjay Gandhi's 42 year-old-son who is fighting an existential battle in a party that will always regard him as an outsider versus the party of his ancestors that doesn't see him as an insider.

Varun's political career reflects this turmoil within as he tries to find a sense of belonging in a party where he will always be the Other. When Maneka Gandhi and her son opted for the BJP instead of signing up for the Sonia Gandhi-led Congress in 2004, it was a gentler, kinder outfit presided over by the Vajpayee-Advani duo with a distinct Nehruvian air about it. It was a BJP that welcomed both Varun and his mother, Maneka Gandhi, making the former a national general secretary in 2013. But soon after, Narendra Modi took over the party. His entire politics was fashioned against the very notion of pedigree and privilege that the Gandhi name symbolised. This narrative had no place for Varun and Maneka, even though the latter was made a cabinet minister in Modi's first government. But no `special' status was offered to the duo, for Modi didn't need a Gandhi to take on the Gandhis.

Quickly realising that the party would not give him a platform, the resourceful Varun started carving his own USP. Unlike his more laidback cousin, the youngest Gandhi is much more proactive in his politics. He seems to have inherited both his father's gumption and resourcefulness. On the eve of the 2017 elections, Varun made a suo moto bid to be the BJP's chief ministerial face for Uttar Pradesh. Part of his profile included his 2009 hate speech that fitted in well with the overall narrative the BJP took to the UP battlefield. But both Modi and Amit Shah did not like being pre-empted, and this bid was summarily rejected. Undaunted, Varun then fashioned another political identity for himself, disavowing the hate speech and reaching out to the farmers and the youth. He toured villages, met farmers, spoke against the Modi government's farmers' bills, was outraged over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and generally let it be known that he was out of sync with Modi's BJP.

This was all very well for someone who had time on his hands and could wait out the Modi era while posturing for a place in the post-Modi BJP. But for reasons best known to him, Varun seems to have stepped up the pace putting his own renomination on a BJP Lok Sabha ticket in danger.

But if not the BJP, then where does he go? There is speculation that he could reach out to the SP and the RLD. But both are small regional outfits that don't have space for more than one leader. And make no mistake, Varun does not make a pliant Plus One. Nor does he see himself confined to one region.

The only road left then is the Congress. But why will Rahul Gandhi welcome a potential contender into the family business? Even if Rahul is currently on a strong wicket, thanks to the goodwill created from his yatra, this has still to be tested electorally. The older guard within the party is still not comfortable with Rahul's leadership. This is the faction that had tried to promote Priyanka Gandhi and pit her against her brother, but she refused to play ball. However, Varun could become that rallying point for dissenters.

At a time when strong leaders are in vogue, there is nostalgia within the Congress not just for Indira Gandhi but also for her preferred heir apparent – Sanjay Gandhi. In fact, there are more leaders floating around 24 Akbar Road who owe their allegiance to Sanjay than Rajiv, Hypothetically speaking, if Varun is brought into the Congress, he would have to be adjusted somewhere within the party hierarchy for he is no ordinary three-term BJP MP. Just like Rahul Gandhi, he is also Indira's grandson. What role would he be given, and more importantly, will he stick to the script?

This is why one is not sure if Bharat Jodo will see a Gandhi Parivar Jodo. Then again, sometimes it's the yatra, not the destination, that's important.

(Priya Sahgal is Senior Executive Editor, News X and the author of The Contenders: Who Will Lead India Tomorrow)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.