The last time Rahul Gandhi visited Goa was towards the fag end of January when he was on a 3-day holiday along with his mother and former party president Sonia Gandhi. The visit ended on a bitter note after his impromptu visit to the secretariat sparked controversy with a courtesy visit to ailing Chief Minister
Manohar Parrikar muddied with Rafale politics and baseless allegations.
Rahul comes back, this time not on a holiday, but on serious political business. He walks in at a time when the Congress is at crossroads once again, gearing up for an intense Lok Sabha contest. An election where the battle lines are drawn between the party and the entire coalition. The poll assumes significance not only for the national narrative, but also because
it will be seen as a barometer to measure acceptability of
parties.
Rahul has always established an easy connect with the common man, but his new found political charisma which has a mix of aggression, wit and sarcasm has recently pushed the BJP on the back foot. From an uncouth offensive, his barbs like ‘jobs gayab, Rafale files also gayab’ and ‘chowkidar hi chor hai’ have scored big over the Modi roar despite all the innuendo. While Congress is slowly getting back its firepower, the halo around Modi appears to be fading.
Rahul’s role in Goa is well cut out. Known to foster unity among warring factions, his primary job will be to replicate the magic he worked in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Bringing together seasoned political figures like Digvijaya Singh, Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia in Madhya Pradesh and in the same breath striking the right balance between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan are huge positives for the leadership skills of Rahul. Congress came out triumphant with no losers.
Rahul, in the same vein, will have to work his charm in Goa at a time when factions continue to dog the organization. The fact that dozens are queuing up to lay their hands on a Lok Sabha ticket illustrates the undercurrents. And this doesn’t augur well for the party fighting a coalition.
On the other side, Rahul should be realistic to the problems faced by the people of the State. He is expected to hold interactions with mining-affected people, and ahead of any election, this is an exercise any sensible political leader would undertake. More especially, since the ruling dispensation and the Central government have failed to live up to their promise, this is one area where the Congress has potential to cash on against a huge wave of resentment. However, Rahul will have to come out with pragmatic solutions if he has to win over the mining-affected people. The ball is now in the court of the Congress president.
