RaGa’s Report Card
How the Congress president has performed in his first year at the party’s helm
GUJARAT ASSEMBLY ELECTION Though the Congress lost, it reduced the ruling BJP’s tally to double digits. Showing an appetite for a fight, Rahul led the party from the front, both on the ground and on social media
KARNATAKA ASSEMBLY ELECTION The Congress performed poorly, but Rahul turned the tables on the BJP—the single largest party—to form a government with the JD(S). He not only showed political maturity by offering the CM’s post to the coalition partner, but also deployed his party’s legal eagles effectively to win the battle of wits for the Congress CWC FORMATION
The reconfigured Congress Working Committee (CWC) is a blend of the old and the young and shows that Rahul values loyalty over merit; except Rajeev Satav, all young members are dynasts; some decisions, such as the inclusion of Tarun Gogoi and son Gaurav Gogoi, defy logic
FINDING ALLIES
Rahul has reached out to political parties and struck personal equations with several leaders—Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh, Tejashwi Yadav in Bihar and M.K. Stalin in Tamil Nadu. He has excellent ties with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, and earned a new friend in the TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu. But he has yet to gain the confidence of Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati
KAMAL NATH AS MADHYA PRADESH CONGRESS PRESIDENT Kamal Nath not only brought money power but also organisational skills as well as Digvijaya Singh’s support in the crucial assembly election; Rahul successfully persuaded a sulking Jyotiraditya Scindia to play a supporting role
THE VETERAN FIREFIGHTERS
Rahul kept former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot busy in Karnataka and in other crisis management roles to reduce pre-poll conflicts between him and Sachin Pilot; Ahmed Patel was made treasurer to leverage his network among industrialists
RAFALE SALVO
Rahul kept targeting PM Modi over the alleged scam in the purchase of Rafale jets—in rallies, on social media, at press meets and in Parliament, building an uncomfortable narrative around Modi—‘chowkidar chor hai...’
RAJASTHAN, CHHATTISGARH, MADHYA PRADESH ELECTIONS
Tirelessly holding more rallies than PM Modi, Rahul relentlessly attacked the NDA government over alleged corruption in the Rafale deal, unemployment and the agricultural crisis, and it paid off
TELANGANA SETBACK The alliance with the TDP proved to be a disaster for the Congress, but by shaking hands with Chandrababu Naidu, Rahul has arguably earned an ally in his bid to stitch an anti-Modi opposition alliance for Lok Sabha 2019
HINDU AVATAR
In his new avatar as a Shiv bhakt and a janeudhari Kashmiri Brahmin of Dattatreya gotra, Rahul is considered to have been largely successful in countering the allegation that the Congress is a party for Muslims; poll results in the three heartland states indicate his party may have breached the BJP’s Hindutva bastion
KAUN BANEGA CM? Rahul contained potential rebellion in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh over the choice of chief minister; posting smiling photos of squabbling aspirants, he sent out the message that he believed in building consensus rather than imposing his decisions