Is Rahul mature enough to become PM? MSN readers feel no, and here are four reasons why Rahul has a long way to go Senior Congress party leader Digvijaya Singh's statement on Rahul Gandhi - that he wanted the heir apparent to take over as India's

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Is Rahul mature enough to become PM?
MSN readers feel no, and here are four reasons why Rahul has a long
way to go

Senior Congress party leader Digvijaya Singh's statement on Rahul
Gandhi - that he wanted the heir apparent to take over as India's
prime minister as soon as possible - is not without substance or an
off-the-cuff remark. A section in the Congress is extremely worried at
the way things are going - with one scam or the other surfacing and
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unable to cap the 'flare-up' of a series
of scams. Added to this blow-out is the fuel provided by Anna Hazare
and Baba Ramdev. And the midnight crackdown on Ramdev's supporters has
divided the Congress with inputs coming in that the people are upset
and angry at the way the issue was tackled.

So, was Digvijaya testing the waters on Rahul's take-over? Probably
yes. At the same time, he has sent a message to Manmohan Singh too to
act and not use coalition dharma as a ruse to preside over a
government known for scams and corruption. The indirect message is
also that Manmohan Singh may be honest and his integrity may be well
above the watermarks of controversy, but that is not enough. Not being
able to exercise his authority ordained by the Constitution in
checking corruption is as good or bad as being corrupt. After all, the
buck stops at the PM's table.

Hence, is the Congress looking at alternatives? Maybe. But there are
groups in the Congress - hardcore 10 Janpath loyalists (like
Digvijaya) on one side and fence-sitters on the other. Senior party
leaders are aware of the ambition of Pranab Mukherjee and Chidambaram
who have started feeling that they have been taking the cross on
behalf of Manmohan Singh for too long.

Digvijaya may have floated the 'Rahul and PM' balloon to also send out
a message to Pranab and Chidambaram - that the PM's chair belongs to
10 Janpath.

Of course, Digvijaya did a u-turn (when has he not done that?)
clarifying that he did not say that it was "high time" that Rahul take
over as PM. He has clarified that he did not use the words "high time"
but wanted to see Rahul as PM in his lifetime.


Digvijaya's 'become PM' birthday wishes on Rahul turning 41 did create
a churn in the Congress. It was seen as an insult to Manmohan Singh.
This is why the party scrambled to clarify that it was for the party
and Congress (not Digvijaya) to decide when he should take over as
Prime Minister. "It is something he will decide, party high command
will decide, people of India will decide," party spokesperson Jayanthi
Natarajan told reporters in Delhi."He has brought about a tremendous
change, especially among youth, democratisation of the party, reaching
out to farmers, dalits and disadvantaged sections of the society. He
is not only a youth icon, but certainly a future leader of not only
this party but of the country", she said.

But she also clarified that "our Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has
done an excellent job in heading the government for the last seven
years. Manmohan Singh is our PM and he continues to be that."

But is Rahul Gandhi ready enough to take over the reins of the
country? How did Digvijaya decide that on turning 41, Rahul has
suddenly become PM material?

There is a growing feeling in the Congress in Delhi that Rahul Gandhi
is not prime-minister material and is committing one blunder after
another that started with Bihar.

MSN readers too feel that Rahul Gandhi is not mature enough to take
over as prime minister. To a question on whether he is mature enough
to take over as Prime Minister, a overwhelming 71 percent (14,967
voters of a total of 21,010) said he is only a product of dynasty
politics; not PM material.

Just 27 % (5,577 votes) said he is young and dynamic and that India
needs leaders like him. 2 % (466 voters) had no opinion.

A similar verdict is reflected on MSN's Facebook poll where 65% voters
do not think Rahul Gandhi is ready to be PM just yet.


Here are four reasons why Rahul is not mature enough to take over as
PM:

Not willing to shoulder responsibility

Anyone having ambitions to rule the country as PM should have a fair
experience in governance. Rahul has always refused to join the Cabinet
despite repeated appeals from Manmohan Singh. In 2009, Singh made an
open appeal. Rahul kept mum. If he wants to bring in change, he should
do so by wielding constitutional authority, shoulder responsibility
and not act as an extra-constitutional authority. Why is Rahul
reluctant to shoulder responsibility? Can such a person become a Prime
Minister?

His great grandfather had years of political experience and stints in
jail before taking over as prime minister; his grandmother was a
minister before she became the PM; his father was thrust into
politics, but had a fairly good and responsible job on hand. But what
does Rahul do? He has hardly shown the will to lead either a cause or
the people of the country.

If the Congress does well in a State, it is because of Rahul; if not,
someone will have to take the responsibility.

A vanishing leader

Rahul is never seen when there is a national crisis. He has neither
been seen nor has he commented on the crusade against corruption
spearheaded by Anna Hazare. This despite the fact that Rahul has
always been outspoken on corruption and wants a 'clean and young
India'. He has also not spoken on the 2G scam, Maoist issue, Posco
land issue (he once rushed to Oddisha, but not this time when the
tribals really needed him), the muddle in the Railway Ministry,
corruption in the judiciary or the crisis with Pakistan and China.

He is only seen and heard only when he takes the Shatabdi Express or
rides pillion to assuage farmers in Uttar Pradesh.


A loner

Rahul has always been a lonely man, ploughing his own furlough. At
times he gets unsolicited help from people like Digvijaya. When have
you seen Rahul discuss serious issue with senior party leaders?

There is a growing feeling in the Congress in Delhi that Rahul Gandhi
is not prime-minister material and is committing one blunder after
another that started with Bihar.

All this has thrown a huge shadow of doubt on the future of a Rahul
Gandhi as India's next prime minister. He has very few years to prove
his theory of a young, 'clean' and energetic brigade taking over the
reins of the Congress. After all 2014 is not far off.

The recent WikiLeaks too has shown how many in the Congress consider
Rahul as impervious and a man who prefers to furrow a lonely path
without as much caring for seniors.

The US Embassy cables have given a 'brutally frank' assessment of
Rahul saying that the "the heir-apparent of the Gandhi family
dynasty," made a series of political gaffes in 2007 and this has
loyalists cast a doubt on his ability.

According to an assessment by the United States Embassy in New Delhi,
as published in The Hindu, loyalists are hoping that Priyanka steps in
before the 2014 elections.

In a cable sent on April 23, 2007, Charge d'Affaires Geoffrey Pyatt
said: "Congress insiders complain that he (Rahul Gandhi) is a neophyte
who does not have what it takes to become Prime Minister. Their hopes
have now shifted to yet another member of the Nehru dynasty, Rahul's
sister Priyanka, as they await her entry into politics." (The Hindu).

Rahul is seen as a man who is 'out of touch' and has 'no close friends
or advisors' because he often strays from his briefs and script given
by his team. He is seen by some as 'arrogant and rude and doesn't
accept guidance from anyone.'

The Cable goes on to say that a few feel that Rahul 'has no future, no
talent for politics and will never be PM, as he has done nothing for
the past three years.' Even if Congress wants to make Rahul PM (in
2014), it would not be able to do so. This is because the party will
not have an absolute majority and must rely on its coalition partners
to stay in power.


The Comment section of the cable, cattily titled 'Son Set' and quoted
in The Hindu, expressed this view: "In any event, regardless of the
outcome of the UP elections, Rahul has made an uneven entry into
active politics. While crowds at his "road show" events are often
large, Rahul has not yet demonstrated that he has the charisma
required to make it in Indian politics."

In an earlier cable dated October 17, 2006, an official said: "Heir
apparent Rahul Gandhi continues to languish with little popular
support, but we are told that his mother remains determined to install
him as PM at the 'appropriate' time."

More known for his gaffes

He, like some Congress leaders, is prone to gaffes; Here are a few of
Rahul's gaffes: On April 15, in a speech at a campaign rally, he had
said: "I belong to the family which has never moved backwards, which
has never gone back on its words. You know that when any member of my
family had decided to do anything, he does it. Be it the freedom
struggle, the division of Pakistan (???) or taking India into the 21st
Century."

And on Babri Masjid: The structure "would have been protected had a
member of the Gandhi family been in power."

Last year, Rahul created a storm by saying that Hindu extremists posed
a greater threat to India than Muslim militants.

In WikiLeaks cables released by 'The Guardian' on Dec 17, Rahul is
reported to have met US ambassador to India Timothy Roemer in a
luncheon meeting. In the meeting, he had warned Roemer that although
"there was evidence of some support for Islamic terrorist group Laskar-
e-Taiba among certain elements in India's indigenous Muslim community,
the bigger threat may be the growth of radicalised Hindu groups, which
create religious tensions and political confrontations with the Muslim
community".

The cable goes on to say: "Responding to the Ambassador's query about
Lashkar-e-Taiba's activities in the region and immediate threat to
India, Rahul said there was evidence of some support for the group
among certain elements in India's indigenous Muslim community.
However, Gandhi warned, the bigger threat may be the growth of
radicalized Hindu groups, which create religious tensions and
political confrontations with the Muslim community."

Source: India Syndicate

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