New Delhi: In Samuel Beckett's famous absurdist play 'Waiting for Godot', the agonizing wait for someone named Godot ends in vain. That person won't arrive. In the Congress theatre of absurd, the wait for Rahul Gandhi was almost like a scene straight from 'Waiting for Godot'. Everybody in the party was saying that he will return. But they did not know where he was and what he was doing. Finally, the long wait is over. Rahul Gandhi, the heir apparent and the vice president of the Congress has finally arrived in New Delhi from an unknown destination. It has ended all speculations over his long absence from India.
When he left India 56 days ago, all kinds of stories started doing the rounds. Some reported that he was in Thailand. Some wrote that he was in Combodia. Some speculated that he was in Spain. Some tweeted that he was in Latin America. Except Rahul Gandhi himself, nobody knows where he was and what he was doing. We don't know if he will inform the people where he was and what he was doing all these days. Rahul Gandhi is an elected MP from Amethi and vice president of the Congress. He is answerable to the people. There is nothing called private and public in politics. Hope, he explains everything to the people.
During his absence, many senior Congress leaders including Sheila Dikshit and Captain Amarinder Singh questioned his leadership qualities. They batted for the continuation of Sonia Gandhi's leadership. Nobody knows how he is going to respond to these comments or charges once he returns to party work.
The party claims that he will address a public meeting opposing the new land acquisition bill in New Delhi on coming Sunday. Everybody is curiously waiting for his public appearance after missing in action for two months. Some of his followers claim that he will set the tone and rejuvenate the party this time. However many old timers in the party are very skeptical. They feel that he has lost the battle long ago and the Congress has no future under his leadership, if at all he becomes president of the party.
His sudden disappearance has caused a huge embarrassment for the party and Rahul Gandhi will surely find it difficult justify his vanishing act. Wherever he goes or whatever he says in the future will be linked to his disappearance. The ruling BJP at the Centre can easily attack the Congress saying that how they can seek votes in the name of a leader who goes missing for months. The Congress will surely find it difficult to hit back with a convincing answer.
Several Congress state units are in disarray and the mood is very depressing in the party. Unless Rahul Gandhi clears all doubts about his leadership and adopts a transparent approach towards party building, his chances of keeping the party strong and united are very bleak.
Will Rahul Gandhi become active or will he go back to his old reclusive lifestyle? It seems one has to wait for some more time.
Comments
0 comment