Heir apparent

Rahul Gandhi is still not ready to take the next step

KC Alexander Delhi

The history of the Nehru-Gandhi family is not of much help for those looking for an answer to when Rahul Gandhi will be given more responsibility in the party.
Indira Gandhi never left her father's side as soon as she came of age. Her entry into politics was seamless. She moved from one level to another, gaining experience and inheriting her father, Jawaharlal Nehru's enormous network of friends and supporters. Indira Gandhi learnt politics and leadership watching her father and other stalwarts of freedom struggle. Her leadership was natural and unquestioned. It does not surprise many who have known her when opinion polls still rate her as the best prime minister that India has ever had.

Gandhi nurtured a special spot for her younger son, Sanjay, who came to support her when she found herself in a crisis. He built his own network of supporters who were non-ideological and thought politics was a good means to get ahead in life. They were aggressive and did not really think much of those who kept spouting values of the freedom struggle and self-reliance. He represented a new mindset and a new generation. Sanjay was made a general secretary and for a while controlled the party, with his mother taking a backseat. His untimely death rudely upset her plans. Her elder son, the reticent Rajiv, a pilot, started slowly and began to help his mother in her work. He was made the general secretary and began to meet with the captains of the industry and bureaucrats. The successful organisation of the Asian Games in 1982 helped in enlarging his network amongst bureaucrats and politicians. It also gave him much needed legitimacy and helped in creating the impression that Rajiv was a modern young man who could take India into the 21st century. This image endured till he became the prime minister after his mother's assassination.

Rahul Gandhi, after he became a member of parliament (MP) from Amethi, was expected to follow his father's model of getting into politics. He was to be included into the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and later be made a general secretary of the party.