Preeto had an argument with her dad last evening. She loves her dad, but at one point during the evening (with the cacophony of some news channel blaring on TV in the background), she could have bitten her old man out of sheer frustration. After all he was saying everything possible to burst her bubble about that sexy man, Rahul Gandhi.
Preeto couldn’t even recall when she developed this huge crush on the scion of the Gandhi parivar! He was just so cute, he looked dapper in those kurta-pyjamas and hadn’t she seen a pix in some newspaper supplement, in which he was wearing that cool black T-shirt! He simply looked amazing. Preeto had always been a reluctant participant in the electoral process, but she sure had been planning to vote for the congress the next time, all because of Rahul Gandhi….
But then there were all those things, dad said to her last evening! It had simply begun with her sighing and saying, “Rahul Gandhi is so cute and he is a great politician too,” while watching news cuddled with her dad. All hell broke loose!
Dad shoved her aside and said sarcastically, “This is the problem with your generation! You kids have no idea who makes a ‘great’ politician. His image now is just because of his mother. This so called `youth icon` is preparing to ruin this country. Enough of congress rule, they are destroying our country. Rahul Gandhi eats, sleeps in a dalit house in Amethi. What is the benefit for that certain dalit? Nothing. What is the benefit for Rahul Gandhi? Vote Banks!”
Even as Preeto, shell-shocked, tried to recover from the sudden change in her dear dad’s mellow mood, he rattled on, “In most backward areas of the most backward state, Orissa, the congress has been winning continuously since independence. But still the electorate is backward. The party is making a fool out of people and gaining votes by getting their sympathy. Rahul appealed to the people to elect them and they would dismantle the dynastic political system that they represent. Is there any sense in that? How will electing the dynastic people dismantle the dynastic political system? It will only strengthen it.”
Where in God’s name had dad acquired these views, wondered Preeto. When she could muster enough courage to speak up, she said, “But dad, the survey conducted by a news magazine showed that twenty nine per cent Indians want Rahul Gandhi as prime minister of India. He is young, dynamic, energetic and has a political vision. He gives comments on realistic issues; on issues like Rich India and Poor India; he has a vision towards social reforms; he gives a clarion call to the country’s youth to join politics. He has a vision of a developed India, a super power India.”
Dad interrupted loudly and said, “You stupid, stupid girl. It’s all only an image, a mirage. It is similar to our country hosting the commonwealth games by spending common tax payer`s 65000 crore rupees for just improving the country’s image, even as the poor here are struggling for livelihood and they lack even basic amenities required to live a ‘human’ life!
Rahul, by just being the heir of the Gandhi family, is controlling Manmohan Singh & his cabinet. He does not have the qualities. We want a leader made by his own efforts rather than due to being from an elite family. And do you know who is Kanishka Singh?”
Preeto was taken aback by this sudden shift in topic! Kanishka Singh? Pray, why in the middle of all the gyaan on Rahul, had dad thrown this volley at her??? She just mutely shook her head in the negative and mumbled, “Nope….no clue. Who’s he or she???”
Dad suddenly got up, went to his study table and took out a few sheets of paper. They were print-outs of some written stuff, from somewhere. He just put on his reading glasses and read out aloud in a monotone, “There is a powerful coterie around Rahul and it is unfortunate that it is only that coterie that can get access to Rahul. It is a coterie of flatterers and inexperienced people. Rahul Gandhi has been for all practical purposes branded as a ‘yuvraj’, the future prime minister. Rahul Gandhi’s brigade has a varied group of advisors. His backroom boys include close friend Kanishka Singh, an MBA from Wharton who functions as a key functionary of his team. Kanishka Singh, a former student of Delhi's St. Stephens College, manages Rahul Gandhi's campaign tours, as part of the coterie.”
“The laptop-wielding Kanishka is in many ways Rahul’s chief of staff. His brief includes looking after his day-to-day programmes, coordinating his tours and briefing Rahul on issues and events. He also doubles up as his boss’s ready reckoner on constituencies, caste combinations and candidate profiles.”
"Kanishka Singh's father has been appointed the governor of Rajasthan despite the fact that he is close to Natwar Singh (who was expelled from the Congress). Natwar Singh is close to Rajasthan Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vasundhara Raje."
“An idea of Mr Gandhi's world view can be garnered from his friends and confidants. His closest political aide is Kanishka Singh but his political allies often come from established political families. Another man is Sachin Rao, an MBA from Michigan Business School and there is Jitendar Singh, Member of Parliament from Alwar.”
“Sachin Rao worked for some time with an NGO before joining Rahul’s team. Jitendar Singh is a family friend and also one of the two AICC secretaries attached to Rahul. These advisors risk becoming power brokers. One such candidate is Yusuf Ansari, 29, a graduate of the London School of Economics whose family has been in Congress politics for four generations. Hoping to be elected in the Muslim-dominated constituency of Mahmudabad, he has been cultivating the seat for two years.”
“Rahul’s principal advisor remains his sister Priyanka. The two are extremely close and he spends a lot of free time with her. If he is in distress and is allowed only one phone call you can bet your last rupee that the call will be to her, says a close family friend.”
“Apart from the team that assists him on a day-to-day basis, Rahul also banks on the brains of people such as Sam Pitroda, former election commissioner JM Lyngdoh, Fareed Zakaria, the editor of the Newsweek International, Shashi Tharoor former assistant secretary general of UN and psephologist Yogendra Yadav.”
“So you see???” Dad gathered all the sheets and huffed and puffed out of the room, as if he had made his point at last. But unknown to him a sheet from his collection had fallen on the floor, which Preeto clutched between shaking fingers and began to read as soon as dad’s back was turned.
“Some link Rahul’s combative traits to his taking up boxing out of the blue last year. Boxing is the art of inculcating an eye-on-the-opponent habit and sets store by patience and endurance, tactical sharpness and stinging delivery of punch – qualities that he seems to display. Rahul trains at a gym regularly. And quite often he has been spotted cycling around India Gate and even jogging in Rashtrapati Bhavan. This is clearly a man who likes to be fit for any fight.”
Preeto had smiled and stuffed that sheet into her cane bag…..
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Preeto was nervous, excited and confused in the morning today. It was her first formal presentation in the board-room. She was very confident about her presentation. She had it all covered, all the volleys ready…..she just couldn’t make up her mind about what colour lipstick to wear to the board-room!!
FOOTNOTE: Preeto seems to have picked the right shade of lipstick. Not only did she look and feel confident in the board-room, she gave the perfect presentation, handled all volleys and the boss actually walked upto her later and congratulated her warmly.