Prime Contender

The Lok Sabha polls are Rahul Gandhi’s chance to forge his legacy. But there are challenges to be surmounted, both within and outside his party.

- Soni Mishra

The first time Congress president Rahul Gandhi got under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s skin was probably in April 2015. Speaking in Parliament, Rahul referred to the Modi dispensation as “suit boot ki sarkaar (government for those in suits and boots)”. With these four words, he sought to paint Modi as a crony capitalist. By corollary, the prime minister was charged with not caring for the farmers, the poor and the marginalised.

Over the last few years, Rahul has worked on this narrative. His effort has been to chip away at Brand Modi. The initial attack on Modi’s credentials as a leader who would usher in “acchhe din” has evolved into an assault on the prime minister’s claims of being a decisive leader and an anti-corruption crusader.

In September 2017, when Rahul was on the verge of taking over as Congress president, he laid bare the blueprint of his line of attack on Modi. During an interaction with students at the University of California, Berkeley, Rahul emphasised, for the first time, on joblessness in the country. He also highlighted the problems faced by farmers.