New Delhi: It’s not only former Union minister and four-term MP Jyotiraditya Scindia who was in a dilemma about his prospects in the Congress before he decided to jump ship and join the BJP. There are almost half-a-dozen Congress leaders who are caught in a similar dilemma.
But it’s not just about their personal ambitions. There is also a sense of alienation among some leaders coupled with an increasing feeling that they won’t progress under former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, according to Congress leaders.
Party leaders also say there is a growing realisation among many of these leaders that the Congress’ public stance on many important issues, including the government’s revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, is not in sync with public sentiment.
“There are many young leaders in the party who feel that they are not being allowed to grow politically. There is a kind of glass ceiling. And many of them have national ambitions,” said a Congress leader who did not want to be named.
A party insider said the Congress high command does not want young leaders to rise because they don’t want anyone to “outshine him (Rahul Gandhi)”.
“You are not allowed to have divergent views. There is a sense of alienation. And a growing feeling that their political career won’t progress under Rahul Gandhi,” said the insider.
Also read: It’s ghar wapsi for Jyotiraditya Scindia, and we welcome him wholeheartedly: Shivraj Chouhan
Sachin Pilot
Despite being close to Rahul Gandhi, 42-year-old Pilot has been denied bigger responsibilities in the party.
In the run-up to the Rajasthan assembly elections, though the Congress did not announce a CM face, it was assumed that Pilot will be the front-runner for the post.
As the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president for five years, Pilot had worked assiduously to revive the party in the state.
But when Congress defeated the BJP and the time came to pick the chief minister, the party chose veteran leader Ashok Gehlot over Pilot, who had to settle for the post of the deputy CM.
“Considering the work he had put in ahead of the assembly elections, he was the perfect choice for the CM post. But the party high command chose to repose faith in the old guard,” said another Congress leader, who too did not want to be named.
Milind Deora
Another young leader who is part of Rahul’s gang was former MP from South Mumbai Milind Deora. But his disillusionment with the way the party has treated him has only grown in recent past.
Although he was made the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Deora, 43, eventually quit from the post in July after Congress’ disastrous performance in the Lok sabha elections.
Deora has been increasingly sidelined in the party since then.
He was among the Gandhi loyalists who digressed from the party line and supported the Article 370 move.
Deora had defended the Narendra Modi government’s decision in a series of tweets.
“Parties should put aside ideological fixations & debate what’s best for India’s sovereignty and federalism, peace in J&K, jobs for Kashmiri youth and justice for Kashmiri Pandits,” he had tweeted.
Very unfortunate that Article 370 is being converted into a liberal vs conservative debate.
Parties should put aside ideological fixations & debate what’s best for India’s sovereignty & federalism, peace in J&K, jobs for Kashmiri youth & justice for Kashmiri Pandits.
— Milind Deora मिलिंद देवरा (@milinddeora) August 5, 2019
He had said that revoking Article 370 could well be “dubbed Modi Sarkar 2.0’s demonetisation moment”, but hoped it played out more favourably.
Abolishing Article 370 of the Indian Constitution could well be dubbed Modi Sarkar 2.0’s demonetisation moment.
For the sake of peace & development in Jammu & Kashmir, I hope this decision plays out more favourably than demonetisation did
— Milind Deora मिलिंद देवरा (@milinddeora) August 5, 2019
Also read: The many hurdles Jyotiraditya Scindia faces in BJP before he can fulfil his dreams
Jitin Prasada
The Congress’ Brahmin face from Uttar Pradesh, former Union minister Jitin Prasada, is another young leader who has not been given any significant responsibility.
He is just a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-making body.
Even in the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress, where 46-year-old Prasada was in reckoning for the state chief’s post for long, he eventually lost out. Prasada hasn’t been given any responsibility in the party organisation at the AICC level either.
Prasada also supported the government’s Article 370 move and PM Modi’s efforts to tackle the population explosion.
At a CWC meeting held last year, Prasada had questioned the Congress’ decision to oppose the Article 370 move and said the party’s stance on the issue will go against the public sentiment.
In September 2019, Prasada had supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concern about India’s burgeoning population.
“It’s time to sensitise and make India aware of the need for population control/stabilisation. It has been the part of @INCIndia Panchmarhi shivir sakalp to work towards the goal of the two-child norm,” Prasada had tweeted.
It’s time to sensitise and make India aware of the need for Population control/stabilisation. It has been the part of @INCIndia Panchmarhi shivir sakalp to work towards the goal of the two child norm. #nationalinterest
— Jitin Prasada जितिन प्रसाद (@JitinPrasada) September 18, 2019
“To start with Congress workers should mobilise 10 families to adopt population control measures based on the two child norm,” Prasada had added in a second tweet.
To start with Congress workers should mobilise 10 families to adopt population control measures based on the two child norm . #nationalinterest @INCIndia
— Jitin Prasada जितिन प्रसाद (@JitinPrasada) September 18, 2019
Deepender Hooda
Three-term MP Deepender Hooda, who is the son of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has also remained sidelined in the party. He is another young Congress leader who is perceived to have mass support.
Hooda is in the reckoning for a Rajya Sabha nomination but the party high command hasn’t given any final decision yet. Deepender hasn’t been given any organisational responsibility either.
He too openly went against the Congress’ stand on the Article 370 move.
Supporting the Modi government’s decision, 42-year-old Deepender had said that scrapping of the provisions of Article 370 was in the interest of “national integrity”.
Sandeep Dikshit
Late Congress leader and former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit’s son Sandeep Dikshit is another Congress leader who has been left with no organisational role.
Dikshit, 55, has not been given his due for long.
In the Delhi assembly elections held in February, Dikshit was hardly involved in any decision-making or strategising.
After the results were declared and Congress drew a blank in the 70-member assembly, Dikshit said it didn’t come as a surprise to him.
“We were nowhere there. We tried to showcase the work done by Sheilaji but it was done really late because unfortunately Subhash Chopraji was given the responsibility really late,” Dikshit had said.
This report has been updated to reflect that Deepender Hooda is a three-term MP and not two-term as mentioned earlier.
Also read: On brink of collapse, Kamal Nath govt ‘targets’ BJP MLAs with raids, notices, demolition
Pretty Sure If Hemanta Biswa Sharma was still in Congress his name would not have come in this list . Very Lazy list . The Man Single handedly won BJP the North East
No doubt, India needs a “loyal opposition” and no doubt, the Gandhi Family cannot provide that. These five listed leaders are attractive and all should be welcomed within the BJP if they, and it seems they do, support the government action on Article 370 but also on CAA (not the messaging of the CAA perhaps but certainly the content) which was, after all, a Nehru-Indira-Manmohan initiative. Certainly, Mr. Pilot, along with Mr. Scindia, belongs in the BJP.
They all have been the part of the sycophant-Army of the of the Gandhi family. That is all right because if one is born in the congress culture or to survive there it was a prerequisite, no harm if one was comfortable with it. As to what any of them(Deepender Hooda, Milind Deora, Jitin Prasada, Sandeep Dikshit and Sachin Pilot) will bring to the table other than their fathers name is a big question. Noe of them appears to be as articulate as the Scindia. Other than Pilot there is a question mark on the vote catching ability also.
IF THE PUBLIC ADMISSION BY MR. SIBAL ON THE FLOOR OF RS REGARDING THE CAA & NRP IS ANY INDICATION OF HIS INTENT, BJP COULD GAIN A GOOD SPEAKER AND FAMILY WILL LOOSE ITS FIREWALL.
YOU DO NOT CONTRADICT YOUR BOSS IN POLITICS UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED FOR A BOOT.
All 5 are so-called top leaders because of their lineage … all had fathers or mothers who help top positions in the Congress party. They may be better educated than their parents, better dressed and able to speak English with the right accent – but in the end they all represent dynastic politics…. not merit, struggle and achievement. Unlike their parents, they have nothing in common with the common man or woman – thus have difficulty in relating to their problems. Neither can they lay claim to ‘modernity’ – as your article states, one or the other is the “Brahmin face” or whatever other medieval face of ‘old India’ – thus hardly the material you would want to lead India in the modern world. In sharp contrast, the BJP – at least so far – has been led at the top by self-made achievers who got there by dint of their wits and hard work …. be it Narendra Modi, Amit Shah or before them Atal Behari Vajpayee or L K Advani. As long as the Congress has such “leaders” in its ranks – be it Rahul Gandhi or one of these second-rung beneficiaries of nepotism, it has no chance. One hardly gives a damn what happens to these fellows … what matters is the country lacks a credible national opposition party.
These talented young leaders can form a new political party instead wasting and waiting time in a declining party . Congress party has developed a lot of inertia . It is not possible to revamp it to the needs of 21 st century political dynamics and fast changing political narrative . The Hindus of India are not going to accept the secularism of congress variety . Whether one agrees or not Indian Society has been divided on communal lines. Every political outfit is responsible for that not excluding BJP or congress . External threats from Adjoining muslim counties can not be ignored to placate a particular vote bank . Indians needs growth , perceptible change in living standards, jobs based on talent , not only on birth only, every group of persons want freedom to grow in its geographical area or backyards. There is no need to impose any language , culture or ancient or modern way of life style on people .. New emerging technologies will decide the way people live and interact with each others individually and collectively People aspire to have choice and they will discard what they think , has become stale. So a new political party is needed to replace BJP in early or late thirties. These young leaders , if they form a new party can have ” first-movers advantage .”. By remaining in Congress they will wasting best years of there life.
Only hope is to form a new front. The center left ideology requires to balance the right wing so that nation to evolve to meet all requirement and tread a path acceptable.
Heavy right front will kill the nation.
5 Jokers led a bigger one! None has had a real job outside thier dynasty-fueled political careers! The possibility of them jumping ship and wrangling anything from BJP is low to nil…this leaves them with little mercies from the mother ship. At least J Scindia was smart about his ‘career’ and made the switch at the right time. These men will forever be social media influencers and local ribbon cutters, that is if they are lucky the stars dont fade 🙂
Excepting Sachin Pilot, any one has hit the ground to be with workers. None of them so how can they say they have been sidelined. It is different matter even Gandhis have not extensively traveller to reconnect with people and workers. No point in wasting time in Delhi. Learn from Gandhiji or even Rajiv who extensively travelled length and breadth of India.
All entitled dynasts like their boss. No need to shed tears for them. Nobody has stopped them from chalking out an independent path. If their current organisation does not allow them to fulfill their potential, they can always become political entrepreneurs like Kejriwal or Modi.
The people at the helm of the Congress seem to be rowing in opposite directions, resulting in the Congress stagnating in the same spot since 2019.
They need to decide on which way to go, quick, because you can be sure that BJP is already planning for 2024!
To overturn that crippling 2019 defeat, even five years may not be enough, so the time to move on has already passed! But, it’s better late than never, so the Congress must involve these young leaders in the fight for 2024 right now.
Rahul Gandhi must realise that one cannot be a part time politician. The winner in 2024 will be the one who has both worked the hardest, as well as the smartest. He should not get into personal fights with the PM – there’s too much propaganda and legend to overcome! Instead, the fights should be on tangible issues. Like Kejriwal turned the fight for Delhi into issues, not personality, protests, or religion, Rahul Gandhi must do the same. But, that’s only if he wants to keep at it 24×7×365, for four years! If not, let him be, and let the young leaders take the mantle. The future is the youth.. you can only postpone it, but it’ll be at your peril!
The Congress must start being proactive instead of just reacting, as they are now. The way Rahul Gandhi led the fight against the Land Acquisition Act, was stunning! Either he must rouse himself to that level. Or he must give way to others that can!
It would be wonderful to see these youngsters getting their dues.For that the inevitable must happen the old guards must graciously must call it a day .The the family can leave the party or hoping against hopes can leave the country.
True, the time has come for these young guys especially Sachin, Hooda to rework their political career which has almost reached dead end to them. Now it is expected that Sachin will also likely to follow Scindia in the political circle. As such Sachin is also facing same kind of problem what Jyothir was faced. It is basically seen as these two guys are immediate threat to Rahul Gandhi, whose father’s were mass leaders & these present generation guys has a fairly good mass support.
They may shine well & deliver good results if right opportunity were given. so through the so called Sr.political leaders they have been deliberately sidelined, humiliated & frustrated. However, for some time they were promised a bright future, since they are younger ones (49 & 42yrs!) asked to gain certain experience. But now most of them realized that it is a make believe ploy.
As the supporters of both these leaders has public sympathy as they have lost their Father in a freak accident. Both were mass leaders & Prime Minister material. While compare to Kamalnath, Ashok may not be so harsh with Sachin but still he has to obey his leadership.
It is interesting to wait & watch the developments in Karnataka related to D K Shivkumar’s appointment, where most of the MLAs refused to
support him, as he is known for his rowdy & mafia style approach, KPCC President but party announced this as damage control measure & to encourage DK to push back the MP MLAs lodge there in Bengaluru,, as he is another Kamal Nath. Thanks
It’s the crying need of the hour to change the Congress Party leadership. The party high command have to blame themselves for the worst situation of the party and to wait for more disaster within this hundred years old party. The senior leaders must evaluate their policies and recent decisions altogether.
Nobody can do good job in Congress as the only Good Job is preserved for Rahul who will not perform at all.
It is indeed a sad story. But what is of immediate need is to infuse fresh talent, fresh enthusiasm into this waning situation. I suggest bring in dynamic people who have vision to set things right, at the very helm of affairs, like D. K. Shivakumar. People who run out of ideas and enthusiasm should be allowed to make place for others. Congress now needs thorough alteration. People should not cling to power. Set a duration of five years per term, so that there is a set dead line for individuals to work out their strategy, and shine too….!!
Look where we are… Service to the people became career now a days.. after all it is true, today politicians dont serve people. They only increase their assets.
you said it sir, its now political “career”