Rahul Gandhi's elevation is Congress first smooth transition in 33 years
, ET Bureau|
Updated: Dec 05, 2017, 01.23 AM IST
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi’s imminent elevat ion as Congress president will mark the first ‘bloodless’ change of guard in 33 years for the party. The last four leadership changes in Congress happened due to two assassinations and two evictions.
When Rahul Gandhi succeeds his mother Sonia Gandhi, he will be facing a bigger electoral, organisational and political challenges than his mother inherited as party chief. The circumstances of their elevations are entirely different. Sonia Gandhi, who had turned down an unanimous CWC appeal to assume leadership after her husband was assassinated in 1991, finally took charge in 1998 after CWC dramatically sacked then party chief Sitaram Kesri and catapulted her to the top post. Kesri is the only serving Congress chief who was sacked in the 132-year history of the party. The ‘credit’ for finding a ‘constitutional way out’ is widely attributed to Pranab Mukherjee who drafted an ‘innovative’ resolution, unanimously and eagerly passed by CWC to oust Kesri.
Kesri’s elevation in 1996 as a compromise candidate, preferred by his predecessor Narasimha Rao, was the culmination of a raging power struggle within, after the party, under Rao, was defeated in the 1996 polls. Almost all top leaders had then stood united in seeking Rao’s exit. A Delhi court chargesheeting him in a corruption case, in fact, gave Rao chance to bow out on “moral grounds”. But Rao was forced out of Congress Parliamentary Party leadership too and even denied a ticket to contest in 1998, with Kesri publicly declaring him guilty of “not protecting Babri Masjid”.
Rao’s elevation followed two ‘accidents’. First, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi mid-polls, and, second when then vice-president of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma — the first choice of Sonia Gandhi and her advisor PN Haksar for PM and Congress chief — turned down the offer “on health grounds” after Aruna Asaf Ali and K Natwar Singh conveyed the message to him. Rao thus returned from ‘retirement’ in 1991 to lead the party and the nation. Earlier, it was Indira Gandhi’s assassination that elevated Rajiv Gandhi to PMship and Congress presidentship in 1984.
When Rahul Gandhi succeeds his mother Sonia Gandhi, he will be facing a bigger electoral, organisational and political challenges than his mother inherited as party chief. The circumstances of their elevations are entirely different. Sonia Gandhi, who had turned down an unanimous CWC appeal to assume leadership after her husband was assassinated in 1991, finally took charge in 1998 after CWC dramatically sacked then party chief Sitaram Kesri and catapulted her to the top post. Kesri is the only serving Congress chief who was sacked in the 132-year history of the party. The ‘credit’ for finding a ‘constitutional way out’ is widely attributed to Pranab Mukherjee who drafted an ‘innovative’ resolution, unanimously and eagerly passed by CWC to oust Kesri.
Kesri’s elevation in 1996 as a compromise candidate, preferred by his predecessor Narasimha Rao, was the culmination of a raging power struggle within, after the party, under Rao, was defeated in the 1996 polls. Almost all top leaders had then stood united in seeking Rao’s exit. A Delhi court chargesheeting him in a corruption case, in fact, gave Rao chance to bow out on “moral grounds”. But Rao was forced out of Congress Parliamentary Party leadership too and even denied a ticket to contest in 1998, with Kesri publicly declaring him guilty of “not protecting Babri Masjid”.
Rao’s elevation followed two ‘accidents’. First, the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi mid-polls, and, second when then vice-president of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma — the first choice of Sonia Gandhi and her advisor PN Haksar for PM and Congress chief — turned down the offer “on health grounds” after Aruna Asaf Ali and K Natwar Singh conveyed the message to him. Rao thus returned from ‘retirement’ in 1991 to lead the party and the nation. Earlier, it was Indira Gandhi’s assassination that elevated Rajiv Gandhi to PMship and Congress presidentship in 1984.
