When the interview with the leader of Congress, Kapil Sibal, questioning his party’s ability to be an alternative to the BJP in the context of the Bihar poll results, hit the newspapers, Congress was silent for a whole day. The silence was broken late at night when Rajasthan’s chief minister and party veteran Ashok Gehlot tweeted to say “It was not necessary for Mr. Kapil Sibal to mention our internal problem in the media, this has hurt the feelings of party workers across the country. “
Moreover, a few days after it became clear that the BJP-ruled states Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were planning to pass the ‘love jihad’ law, it was again Gehlot who was the first to react from the party. He tweeted: “Love jihad is a word made by BJP to divide the nation and disturb community harmony. Marriage is a matter of personal freedom, bringing a law to stop it is completely unconstitutional and will not be upheld in any court of law. Jihad has no place in love. “
Until Gehlot spoke, no one in Congress had done so and even then the party has been very cautious in its reaction to the law, as it is aware that it could damage its attempt to project itself as a Hindutva party.
The common thread that Gehlot is the first to articulate a position raises an interesting debate. Is Gehlot the new Ahmed Patel? Will you be used as a problem solver or firefighter for the party in tough times? With Patel still recovering from COVID-19
complications and almost unlikely to be as active as before, Congress needs someone like him even more.
To understand why Gehlot might be the best candidate for this job, it is also important to understand what Patel brought to the table. Patel belongs to the old style of politics of reaching out to politicians across party lines, bureaucrats, and corporations. Everyone is a potential ally, is his mantra and a call from “Ahmed bhai”, as he is called, could actually answer many times.
But Rahul Gandhi’s Congress is out of sync with Patel. It is a known fact that Rahul Gandhi is not that comfortable working with Patel and his style and if he were made chairman of his party he would probably look for a replacement. But the problem is that very few in the game have the sharpness that Patel had to negotiate and win. Gehlot almost fits the bill.
First, share a good personal equation with Rahul Gandhi and have his confidence too. When Rahul Gandhi was president, it was Gehlot who was in charge of the organization and the two worked together. The good performance of Congress in Gujarat’s state polls was also attributed to Gehlot’s strong grassroots mettle.
Gehlot is of stature and seniority and shares a personal relationship with many seniors at all parties. A call from Gehlot could get an immediate response. He is also a strong grassroots leader and this increases his power. Like Patel, Gehlot prefers a low profile; although the only time Gehlot seemed to shed her normally reticent image was when she attacked Sachin Pilot for being “nikamma.”
Those who have watched Gehlot closely were shocked. Gehlot is known for being quiet, calm, fond of jasmine tea and the Parle-G cookie. His animosity towards any leader is not openly revealed and given the complex political times this is seen as an advantage. “They say of Patel that it is very difficult to gauge what he thinks. Gehlot is almost like that; his smile camouflages his strategy and plans, ”says a senior leader.
It is no coincidence that Gehlot is speaking out on two contentious issues. Sources say the Gandhis meant this, but through someone of stature and political weight. While there is no talk of any eventual change from Gehlot to the Center if Rahul Gandhi becomes party chairman, the fact remains that he will have an important role to play in removing the wrinkles from the party. And that’s where the need and the indispensable for another Patel come in. This time, someone who makes Rahul Gandhi feel comfortable.
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