A failure to impress
Sister Priyanka, noted for her charisma and populist touch, may be tapped to lead Congress
Congress, India’s top political party, suffers a humiliating defeat in Uttar Pradesh, where it was led into battle by Gandhi heir, Rahul. It could spell the end of his political ambitions.
NEW DELHI — Rahul Gandhi was humiliated in crucial state elections Tuesday after leading his party to a crushing defeat, casting doubt over his future as heir to India’s ruling Congress dynasty and fuelling speculation he may soon be replaced by his sister Priyanka.
The elections in Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state, were billed as a proving ground for Gandhi to demonstrate his fitness to take over the Congress leadership from his ailing mother, Sonia Gandhi, and follow in the footsteps of his father Rajiv, grandmother Indira, and great- grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru.
He had identified Uttar Pradesh, which Congress once dominated but has not won since the late 1980s, as a key battleground in his campaign to revive the party throughout India. But senior party loyalists last night said his showing had been a “disaster” for both him and the Congress Party after its share of the vote plunged in comparison to its performance in the 2009 general election.
They had expected to win up to 100 seats in the state assembly, in line with their vote at the 2009 general election, but by Tuesday night they had failed to reach 30 and had been defeated in Amethi and Rae Bareily constituencies, which the Gandhi family has dominated since Indian independence.
The election was won convincingly by the Samajwadi party, a left- wing low- caste party that enjoys the support of one of India’s richest billionaires and its most celebrated Bollywood actor, Amitabh Bachchan. Its victory ousted the controversial Dalit leader Mayawati, whose self- enrichment in power and erection of statues of herself throughout the state brought international criticism.
But the biggest loser was Gandhi, who had competed with Mayawati for the votes of the Dalit “untouchables” and other low- caste groups.
He had made a series of highprofile visits to stay with poor Dalit villagers.
According to senior Congress figures, Gandhi had failed to win their votes and had compounded his mistakes by alienating the party’s traditional higher- caste Brahmins. One figure close to Gandhi said the party’s strategy had been wrong and described the decision to allow Gandhi to lead the campaign as a “serious mistake.”
“Now the pressure will be for Priyanka [ Gandhi] to be involved and up front for the party,” he said.
Priyanka Gandhi has, until now, rejected taking on a leadership role in the Congress to focus on her young family. But she is ambitious, according to family aides, who say she has inherited the charisma and populist touch of her grandmother, the late Indira Gandhi.
Insiders say the “clamour for Priyanka” will grow after the Congress suffered further setbacks in four other state elections, including Punjab and Goa, where the party was ousted by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
There was speculation that the defeat would further weaken the Congress- led national government, which has seen its program for economic reforms paralyzed amid growing concerns about corruption.