Love Him, Hate Him But Ignore You Can't Ignore Rahul Gandhi Anymore

Years ago, the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru reportedly said, “She is a remarkable woman. You may love her or hate her, but you cannot ignore her.” Nehru was referring to Indira Gandhi, his daughter, whose growing involvement in politics and proximity to the Prime Minister’s Office had begun to raise eyebrows in political circles. The same can now be said about Indira Gandhi’s grandson, Rahul Gandhi. After spending over two decades in politics, he has finally reached a point where one may love him or hate him, but one can definitely not ignore him.

We are not getting into the futile debate over how many Indians love or hate him. What is beyond dispute is that he can no longer be dismissed, as he once was, when people mocked him and labelled him “Pappu”, questioning his intellect.

Rahul Gandhi is now setting the national agenda, and, whether willingly or unwillingly, the Modi government is being compelled to respond. He went hammer and tongs after the contentious farm laws, an agitation followed, and the bills were eventually scrapped by the government.

He began demanding a caste-based census, even though the prevailing view is that India must move beyond caste to grow and become a developed nation, as caste divides. Rahul Gandhi, who has been advocating job quotas for various castes and religious groups, stood firm. The demand gained traction. Whether such an exercise is good for the country is debatable, but the Modi government had to relent. The new census, originally due in 2021 and deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will now include caste details of all Indians.

He also compelled the government to reiterate its commitment to the Constitution by repeatedly accusing it of intending to alter its fundamental structure, even though he faced criticism for this, given that his grandmother, Indira Gandhi, had violated it more blatantly than anyone else with her decision to impose Emergency in 1975 to save her chair.

Now, Rahul Gandhi is raising the issue of vote theft, targeting a constitutional body like the Election Commission. He has escalated his attack, having long blamed electronic voting machines for the Congress party’s repeated defeats in parliamentary and state elections, indirectly suggesting that EVMs kept him from becoming prime minister.

The allegation of vote theft is controversial. Some quarters are already suggesting that it is part of a sinister international plot to destabilise a duly elected government, as was allegedly done in Bangladesh or Pakistan.

The point, however, remains that Rahul Gandhi has arrived and is driving the political narrative, forcing others to respond. Whether these ideas originate from him or are fed to him is a matter of speculation. The BJP has often claimed that his criticisms and questions mirror the Pakistani line and that his plans reflect those of the so-called American deep state, driven by his desperation to become prime minister by any means.

It has also been noted that Rahul Gandhi raises the issue of vote manipulation only when his party loses. There is no clarity on whether such manipulation, be it through tampering with EVMs or electoral rolls, is done selectively, and on what basis. One might understand if it was not done in a smaller state like Himachal Pradesh, but why would those allegedly responsible not manipulate elections in key states like Karnataka, Punjab, West Bengal or Andhra Pradesh?

Recently, Rahul Gandhi has claimed that the BJP won elections in Maharashtra and Haryana through manipulation. However, he has refrained from providing the kind of details he shares in media interactions and speeches under oath. This raises doubts about the veracity of his claims. Allegations made under oath against a constitutional body like the Election Commission, if proven false, can attract imprisonment of up to seven years, followed by a six-year ban on contesting elections. Can Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party afford such a risk? Are the documents he displays genuine and capable of withstanding judicial scrutiny? These are questions that demand answers, but none are forthcoming.

Uttar Pradesh Politics: Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar Slams Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi; Labels Opposition Leaders As 'Defused Cartridges'

Rahul Gandhi is known for his shoot-and-scoot style of politics. He is laying the groundwork in Bihar, where, if the opposition alliance wins the upcoming Assembly elections, he will claim credit for thwarting electoral manipulation. If it loses, the Election Commission will be blamed for bias.

The opposition’s role is to strive for power through electoral victories, not by attempting to overthrow an elected government through agitation and by discrediting the people’s mandate.

Rahul Gandhi is playing with fire, and it could consume him too. He has taken upon himself the task of reviving the Congress party and leading the Opposition to oust the BJP from power at the centre and in the states. There is nothing wrong with that. He has already become the face of the Opposition, which was under dispute during the 2024 general elections. But displaying desperation and venting his frustration elsewhere is unwelcome in a mature democracy like India. If he has irrefutable evidence of electoral fraud, he should approach the Supreme Court. Trying to replicate a Bangladesh-like scenario in India is a dangerous game, and one that could backfire.

Ajay Jha is a senior journalist, author and political commentator.