The elevation of Rahul Gandhi as the Congress party’s top leader has been in the air for a considerable length of time now (“Congress gets ready to finalise Rahul’s elevation”, October 22). The Congress has for long been known to be a party of sycophants and the likelihood of any opposition to his elevation can be effectively ruled out. With old family retainers such as Motilal Vora, A.K. Antony and Digvijaya Singh and young Turks, Milind Deora, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot, there is bound to be backing for him all the way. However the million dollar question on every Congressman’s mind will be whether Mr. Gandhi, who has earned a reputation for being inconsistent when the political heat becomes unbearable, can motivate the cadres and other leaders and ensure that the sinking party can rise again. With demonetisation having gone awry and economic indices in a nosedive, public sentiment and support is slowly waning for the BJP. The time is now ripe for Mr. Gandhi, the Congress and the other Opposition parties to close ranks and emerge as a viable alternative to the saffron alliance. Rahul Gandhi needs to have clear thoughts and rise to the occasion.
C.V. Aravind,
Bengaluru