Opinion | Wanted, Desperately: A 'Fixer' For Rahul Gandhi

Optics are important in politics. And the optics have been damaging for the Congress in recent days as assembly polls near in five states, of which the party has high stakes in at least three: Kerala, Assam and Tamil Nadu.

There was barely time to bask in the satisfaction of having resolved its Shashi Tharoor problem in Kerala with a peace meeting between the disgruntled Thiruvanthapuram MP and Rahul Gandhi when the Congress found itself fire-fighting again, this time on all sides.

In Assam, its former state chief, Bhupen Borah, quit to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He left despite Rahul Gandhi's personal intervention to persuade him otherwise, and as he quit, he fired a parting shot intended to hurt by raking up BJP allegations against his successor Gaurav Gogoi's "Pakistani links''.

Firefighting Everywhere

In Tamil Nadu, the Congress's staunchest ally, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), served notice to dump the Congress unless it agreed to the following: one, take action against two leaders considered part of Rahul Gandhi's durbar, Praveen Chakravarty and Manik Tagore, for their sustained campaign to launch a separate Congress-led front with film actor Vijay's fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam  (TVK); two, come to the table without further ado for seat-sharing negotiations on the DMK's terms.

The unkindest cut came from Kerala, where long-time Gandhi family loyalist, Mani Shankar Aiyar, took pot shots at two other Rahul durbaris, KC Venugopal and Pawan Khera, and predicted a third successive win for the Left Front. "I am a Rajivian, not a Rahulian,'' he declared in typical Mani style.

Almost simultaneously, another family friend and INDIA bloc ally, Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference, also forecast a Left Front victory in the state.

Aiyar and Abdullah may not count for anything in Kerala, but when friends and allies use the Congress as target practice, it makes for embarrassing headlines in a state where the party fancies its chances at forming the next government.

What Ahmed Patel Did For Sonia

Could the Congress have done damage control and saved itself from poor optics on the eve of crucial state elections? Perhaps. But for that, Rahul Gandhi would need to take a leaf out of his mother Sonia Gandhi's playbook and find himself an effective political aide, as she had in the late Ahmed Patel.

Whatever his faults and shortcomings were, Patel earned his stripes in his long innings as Sonia Gandhi's chief factotum, serving as troubleshooter, party handler, backroom strategist and communication channel with allies during the UPA years. He was the first port of call for anyone who wanted a word with Sonia Gandhi and readily worked the phone lines or held lengthy in-person meetings late into the night to crack the whip, hammer out compromises and strike deals. Sonia Gandhi stepped in after Patel had prepared the ground for her.

Although there were times when he was accused of making tactical errors and playing favourites, there is little doubt that he was largely instrumental in helping Sonia Gandhi to steer the UPA ship through two successive terms in power.

A Crucial Difference

Congress watchers see many similarities between Rahul Gandhi and his mother. Both are uncomfortable with messy situations - inevitable in the rough and tumble of politics - instinctively shy away from taking hard decisions, and rarely engage with knotty organisational issues.

However, there is a crucial difference. Sonia Gandhi came into politics as an inexperienced "outsider''. She had the wisdom and maturity to seek help from a trusted circle of advisors with a keen nose for politics. Ultimately, she came to rely on Patel's tact and diplomatic skills to tackle tricky party problems and ally troublefs for her.

On the other hand, although Rahul Gandhi was a greenhorn, too, when he took the political plunge; he came in as heir to the legacy of India's foremost political dynasty. Secure in a sense of entitlement, he has often displayed disdain for the Congress establishment and system. Sidelining the politicos, he has chosen to surround himself with civil society advocates, foreign-educated techie whiz kids and other apolitical activists, most of them without any experience in the Congress or acquaintance with its leaders and workers.

Consequently, crises are neither anticipated, nor forestalled, nor tackled effectively. Like his mother, he is reluctant to intervene himself, but unlike her, he lacks an aide/aides of the calibre of Ahmed Patel to take care of problems that are bound to crop up in any political organisation.

Can A Party Survive Without Foresight?

For instance, no one stepped in to silence Chakravarty and Tagore, although their comments and flirtation with TVK leader Vijay were clearly annoying the DMK. It was only after the DMK threatened to go ahead without the Congress that the party acted. The two have since been lying low. 

Similarly, by the time Rahul Gandhi spoke to Bohra in Assam, it was too late. The state's chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, an ex-Congressman himself, had already worked on Bohra to join the BJP and ensured that he exited with unsparing criticism for his former party. It is surprising that the Congress high command didn't see it coming. Certainly, it was slow to take cognisance and act.

Don't Escape The Chaos

Politics is quite different today. It is far more challenging and competitive. Sonia Gandhi was up against the Vajpayee-Advani BJP, which played by the old rules of politics. Rahul Gandhi faces the formidable Modi juggernaut and relentless personal hostility from the top duo of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Both believe in scorched earth tactics and use all means at their disposal to build the BJP into the country's foremost political force. Their "Congress mukt Bharat'' is not an empty slogan. In their playbook, the Congress must be erased for the BJP to dominate.

This is the political environment in which Rahul Gandhi has to function. The challenges require a much more hands-on approach, quick reflexes and a willingness to engage with the chaos of Indian politics.

Many in the Congress wonder why Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hasn't been deployed as Rahul Gandhi's Ahmed Patel. She knows the heartbeat of the Congress, and as she showed during the winter session of Parliament, even sipping tea with Modi, she has the skillset required to deal with people and situations.

She has intervened in the past on behalf of Rahul Gandhi - in Punjab, for instance, with Amarinder Singh, and in Rajasthan with Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, to name a few tangles. Maybe Rahul Gandhi should consider involving her more often. At least she can try to help save what's left of the Congress.

(The author is a senior journalist)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author