Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Is Rahul Gandhi finding Modi too tough?' that was published in Newband

Is Rahul Gandhi finding Modi too tough?

Rahul Gandhi knew since he was born that the leadership of the Congress was his for the asking. Just his mother, Sonia Gandhi, had to step down. No one but a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family can lead the Congress Party. The December election will see Rahul Gandhi as Congress president. He is taking on the responsibility just before the Assembly election in Gujarat,

The Amit Shah-Narendra Modi combine is giving a tough time to the Congress Party. Rahul Gandhi is ready for the long haul. He will try to be a rock in the way of the Modi juggernaut. It is true that Dynasty has taken him to the top of the party but he will have to articulate a political vision which people will buy.

Mahatma Gandhi, in 1924, had made a young Nehru as General Secretary of the INC overlooking very senior party men. He made Nehru the Congress President five years later at the Lahore session in 1929, succeeding his own father, Motilal Nehru, again superseding senior members and over loud objections of dynastic rule. Nehru was President for two successive terms, again violating the norm. There was no looking back for the Nehru family's hold on the INC (and India) after that. The Nehru family has never shown their ability to lead this country (save once in 1971) and we cannot afford another member from that dynasty just because of the lineage. That is a sheer travesty in a country blessed with talent.

Rahul Gandhi has to prove himself to have the material to lead this country. So far it has not been exhibited. Only the coterie close to the present leadership considers him as capable. But his behaviour does not show the mettle or material. This might be the last nail in the coffin of Congress Party. Rahul has a formidable task to bring Congress at par with BJP.

The Congress's vision is only: how to catch up with the BJP? RSS-Modi reached the pinnacle of power decrying the Nehru-Gandhi 'dynasty'.

After the debacle in elections, Congress, particularly Rahul Gandhi, has been slow to counter the right wing and could not even try to convert favourable positions like Goa and Manipur. The party was passing through a difficult phase. Only recently, Rahul has shown some sort of resilience. He needs more than just activism to stay in the fray in future

Rahul Gandhi should make himself as a strong and perfect candidate for the post of Prime minister instead of becoming the rival of Modi. He needs to bring much maturity in his nature to be a perfect competitor of BJP.

Despite the party’s image tottered much under the weight of too many scams and allegations and it would go to any extent to appease minorities for vote-bank politics; its forte even now lies in its pseudo secular character.

Time alone will tell whether the elevation is in right direction or not. Certainly, Rahul Gandhi has to prove his worth as "Prime Ministerial material." The Nehru-Gandhi family stands slurred for the 'dynasty rule' tag.