RaGa's resignation decision is right. Congress should let him go
Rahul Gandhi has committed many political blunders in his career and 2019 elections showed he just can't take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But for once, he has taken the right decision. He wants to resign from Congress President's post, but leaders are "pleading him to stay". This inordinate delay to solve the leadership crisis is only adding to Congress' woes. Let's explain why.
Congress turned the 2019 elections into a battle between Rahul and PM Modi. For everything which BJP did, Congress showed Rahul had a better alternative (when actually he didn't). He called GST "Gabbar Singh Tax" and promised to "simplify" it if Congress won polls. He attacked BJP over demonetization, unemployment, and Rafale, but nothing resonated with voters. In the end, Congress won 52 seats.
That Rahul lost his citadel Amethi showed how disconnected he was from ground realities. Even "launch" of his sister Priyanka Gandhi didn't make a difference, as all she did was hold a couple of rallies. Despite a lot of noise, Priyanka wasn't fielded from Varanasi opposite PM Modi, confirming that Congress isn't ready for a fight. Voters saw this through and blessed PM Modi.
One good thing which emerged from this rout is that Rahul understood he is unfit to lead Congress. Days after the results, he told the Congress Working Committee (CWC) he would work as a cadre but not as chief. Since then, Congress leaders have been employing new methods to convince Rahul. From holding a march to chief ministers requesting him, Congress tried every trick in the book.
On Monday, chief ministers of Congress-governed states met Rahul and asked him to reconsider his decision. He, however, didn't relent. Captain Amarinder Singh (Punjab), Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan), Kamal Nath (Madhya Pradesh), Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh), and V Narayanasamy (Puducherry) told Rahul that Congress workers across the nation want him to continue as their leader. They "hoped" that Rahul takes a positive decision.
Reportedly, the CMs reminded Rahul of impending polls in Maharashtra and Haryana to tell why his "leadership" is required. But Rahul said he wasn't in a "position to reconsider his decision". "No single person has to take the responsibility of defeat as we have failed in most constituencies. We expected better results in some constituencies but we lost even there," Rahul told the CMs.
While Rahul seems to understand there is no way the poll results can be defended, people surrounding him aren't ready to take off their glasses. After the meeting, Gehlot blamed BJP's "hyper-nationalism". He said the saffron party lied to people but "Rahul Gandhi did his best". In his denial, Gehlot skipped the fact that Rahul's best wasn't even remotely good enough.
Since the last couple of weeks, Congress is stuck with the same tape. After every couple of days, Congress leaders rush to Rahul to convince him, and he turns their offer down. In this bid, Congress is losing crucial time which can be used to prepare for the next battle. Fortunately, Rahul has read the writing on the wall. Why can't his durbaris do the same?
