New Delhi: With one electoral debacle after another and a leadership that seemed all at sea again the aggressive onslaught of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress was fast shrinking and losing its relevance across large parts of India. The massive mauling in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and then a score of zero in the February 2015 Delhi Assembly elections had pushed the Congress at the edge of a precipice.
Rahul Gandhi, the face of Congress for the last two years, was facing tough questions about his leadership qualities and his interest in politics not just from his rivals but increasingly a large number of his colleagues within the party too. So when he took his sudden and mysterious sabbatical just before Parliament's Budget Session, many taunted him, declaring that he was no longer interest in politics and the Congress must look for another face.
But after 56 days a recharged Rahul was back in India to take on his rivals head-on. The almost reluctant and forced-to-be-a-politician persona of Rahul had undergone a dramatic transformation.
With a populist issue before him, Rahul launched headlong to lambast the Centra government on a host of issues including the Land Acquisition Bill and net neutrality. Attempting an image makeover, Rahul seems to have also galvanised the Congress. After wooing farmers and agricultural workers by taking up the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill, Rahul went on to target the youth by speaking in favour of net neutrality even of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi dithered in taking a clear stand.
Giving a tumultuous start to the second phase of the Budget session, Rahul tore into the Narendra Modi government's promise of 'achche din', saying Modi has failed to fulfil his promise.
In his speeches at Ramlila Maidan during the Kisan-Khet Mazdoor rally as well as in Lok Sabha, Rahul portrayed the government as anti-poor, anti-farmer and accused it of being pro-corporate. A 'rejuvenated' Rahul single-handedly took on the government announcing his return in a grand style.
With two public addresses in two consecutive days, Rahul's allegations left the government looking for answers. The move is Rahul's attempt to lift party's image as well as his.
With facts in his hand and enumerating previous UPA government's initiative for the poor, Rahul was way different from the one seen pulling up sleeves and tearing an ordinance in his previous politically immature days. Leaving behind the image of angry man, Rahul seems to have realised that maturely dealing with issues is the best way forward. He has been more vocal and making his presence felt both inside and outside Parliament.
With people eagerly waiting to hear him in Parliament, Rahul's 17-minute speech on Land Bill and 4-minute speech on net neutrality was precise and ripped apart the Modi government's claim of being pro-poor.
With a combination of pun, wit and facts, Rahul's speech left Parliamentarians smiling as he sarcastically praised the government. "Your government s the government of corporates, of big people, of suit-boot!" Rahul said in his first speech as an opposition MP.
The suit referred here was the one Modi wore during US President Barack Obama's visit and was later auctioned for Rs 4.31 crore. The suit had cost Modi dearly in Delhi Assembly elections and the party may have to witness its repercussions in the coming days.
The BJP has almost lost the perception battle on the Land Bill and is being perceived as pro-corporate and for rich industrialists.
"Modi wants to give your land to industrialist friends from which he has taken loans for his huge campaign. In Gujarat Model, Modi showed us that he can snatch land from farmers very easily," Rahul had said.
Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu replied on party's behalf but with Rahul directly targeting Modi, it remains to be seen if the Prime Minister will take up the challenge.
Meanwhile, Rahul's speeches also highlighted that he will lead the fight and play a different game this time. The ball is in Rahul's court as the BJP has given him an opportune time to set his feet back in the political arena and win people's support.
But even a small mistake could backfire and shatter all hopes that his party may have from him. The only drawback was the lack of ground work. Had Rahul spent two months with farmers, the result of his speech and rally would have been better.
With Rahul's return, the social media team of the AICC has also become very active. Giving a tough competition to the other political rivals, the Congress presence on Twitter and Facebook can be felt with minute to minute update and even the mailboxes of journalists have been flooded with AICC mails about updated and press releases.
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