Coming of Age

The scion of one of India’s most powerful political families has successfully branded himself as a friend of the powerless

-  Pushpita Dey

For years, Rahul Gandhi was not seen as a viable leader by the media commentariat or the citizenry. His public persona was that of a semi-serious, part-time politician who was often described as an arrogant, fidgety man who had the top-post in the Congress party only because he inherited it. His blind supporters hoped Gandhi would grow into a leader because of his lineage. His critics within Congress thought it was he who was ruining the party’s electoral chances. And many within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) thought that as long as Gandhi was Congress’ leader, their party’s pole position in Indian politics would remain unquestioned.

In 2024, Rahul Gandhi changed all of that. While walking through eastern and northeastern India in the second edition of Bharat Jodo Yatra, called the Nyay Yatra, Gandhi transformed into a leader with an electorate of his own. The results accrued in the general elections that came after. The Congress, down in the dumps, emerged with 99 seats, almost double the number of seats it had won in the 2019 elections. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), led by Congress, won 234 seats. And a decade of single-party majority in Parliament ended.

Unlikely Hero of the Poor