Rahul Gandhi is a fifth-generation politician from the Nehru-Gandhi family and a senior Congress leader. He currently serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Entering politics in 2004, he contested from the family stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, winning three consecutive terms before losing to the BJP’s Smriti Irani in 2019. However, he remained an MP by securing a win from Wayanad, a seat he held until 2024. He briefly served as Congress president from 2017 but resigned after the party’s poor performance in the 2019 General Elections.
Between 2022 and 2024, Rahul Gandhi led two major political marches—the 3,750-km Bharat Jodo Yatra (Kanniyakumari to Srinagar) and the 6,700-km Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (Thoubal to Mumbai). In the 2024 elections, he made a strong comeback, reclaiming Amethi and assuming the role of Leader of the Opposition.
Rahul Gandhi is an idiot who doesn’t understand that currently RG-Modi relationship is of parent-child (transactional analysis Eric Berne), and by entering into a debate, it may transform into adult-adult transaction. Why would Modi and BJP allow that too happen? And why should they, especially when Rahul Gandhi has no record of governance, or any outstanding electoral victory. He just happens to be an heir given the responsibility of saving his party’s political fortunes?
He is perceived more and more with each passing day, and with every “Speech” that he gives, as a hollow person with very shallow depth. His words have ceased to have any meaning and sense, and the only refrain in them ad nauseam is his totally inexplicable personal HATRED for Modi that comes across in his body language as well as his choice of words. It is amazing that NO ONE in Congress dares to point out to him how counter productive his approach is to any winning prospects for his party.
While there is palpable discontent with Modi government on the ground which is making the entire BJP camp nervous, and on basis of which perhaps Rahul Gandhi is repeatedly challenging Mr Modi to a one-on-one debate, Rahul Gandhi must remember that Mr Modi can confuse the audience with misleading data. Those who track his speeches more closely will definitely be able to give more examples, there is one that even I can present. When Mr Modi went to inaugurate the Sikkim airport, he said in his speech that, “in India there are 100 airports, out of which 30 (35) have come up in last four years alone”. I have put 30 and 35 because I don’t remember the exact number he said. Even if he said 30, his claim sounds a lie because we have never heard of Modi ji inaugurating those many airports, and how can vital infrastructure like an airport be inaugurated by anyone else!
So, Rahul Gandhi will have to keep some source of real data handy. Or perhaps Mr Modi knows that Rahul Gandhi does have access to such a source of correct data, and that’s why he’s avoiding Rahul’s offers of debate.