Is Rahul Gandhi a Poor Brand Ambassador for Congress?

Bangalore: The Congress party has always had a great problem with the issue of succession. Sonia Gandhi's refusal to become PM in 2004 and the uncertainty over Priyanka Gandhi to enter politics meant that the issue of succession would again haunt the party. Manmohan Singh became a feasible choice to become the PM eight years ago. Now the only man left in the line is Rahul Gandhi. But the latest fiasco over Salman Khurshid's 'direction' comment has clearly indicated that not Singh but it is the Congress itself which can be tagged as the actual 'underachiever', reports Shubham Ghosh for OneIndia.

Recently, the Congress senior leader and union law minister Salman Khurshid created fresh controversy by calling the role of Rahul Gandhi in the party as a cameo role. Khurshid said Rahul "has not taken up the mantle or accepted a functional responsibility. He is so far not willing to accept the Number Two position," as reported Indiablooms.com. Khurshid's comments that people had only seen cameos of Rahul Gandhi's ideas and the root of the problems plaguing Congress was lack of "ideological direction" from the party General Secretary raised a political row.

However, Khurshid clarified that his remarks were "misunderstood, misinterpreted and put in a negative light". He said that what he meant was Rahul Gandhi should come forward to play a larger role.

Just three years ago, right after the 2009 general elections in which the Congress-led UPA was re-elected to power, Rahul Gandhi was being called as the modern-day Chanakya of politics.  He was referred to as “the quiet revolutionary”, the man who was on a mission to “democratise” the dynasty-obsessed Congress and “drive it to a new tomorrow.”