His detractors in the Indian mass media are calling it a sign of weakness, but Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest a Lok Sabha seat from Wayanad, Kerala, promises to enhance his Indian National Congress’s profile in the area. The ruling nationalists have a limited presence in the constituency.
Many in the media have interpreted the move as an acknowledgment of weakness. The Congress leader cannot expect a milk run in the Amethi constituency that has faithfully elected some member of his family or the other for a long time. Smriti Irani, handpicked by Modi in 2014 on account of her aggressive campaigning, beat him in the last elections. She has followed up on that victory by visiting the constituency often and bringing development and welfare funds. This time around, she is more confident of putting up a great show. For their part, spokespersons for his Congress party are saying Mr Gandhi’s reaching out to south India will do the party good. Credible opinion polls are already showing him ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the southern states.
Congress has been working on expanding its presence in the south, particularly Kerala, where it is up against the Communist Party. Rahul’s cause has benefited from the formidable presence of his charismatic sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is making her debut in electoral politics . “There is a feeling in south India that the way the government, the RSS and Narendra Modi are working… many people in the country feel that their culture, language and history are under attack,” Rahul Gandhi has been reported as saying. His tone has toughened in recent years and more people now see him as an aggressive leader capable of countering Modi’s Hindutva politics.
Historically, this is not the first time a Gandhi is seeking election from two seats. His illustrious grandmother Indira Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi contested two seats each in 1980 and 1999.
There may be a lesson in the experience of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari with whom Gandhi is sometimes compared. For decades Layari had been to Bhuttos, what Amethi has been to Gandhis. However, a party workers’ revolt during the last elections resulted in a humiliating defeat for Bilawal who was seeking an elected office for the first time. The saving grace in that case was a comfortable victory from Bhuttos’ native Larkana.
Rahul cannot afford to lead a great nationwide campaign for the party while ignoring his own seat. He can lead from the front only once his own seat in the parliament is secure. *