PARACHUTING LEADERS
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    • PARACHUTING LEADERS
    The obsession of the visual  and print media with the Prime Ministerial candidate of the congress party should they choose one now as the heir apparent Rahul Gandhi seems to have reservations in accepting the challenge is something defying all logic. Why should they be worried as much most of them have now decided UPA II will be voted out and Modi will be in the chair of the PrimeMinister when one likes it or not. It is too early to predict the verdict of an impending elections almost 5 months away but the psepologists brigade will not listen. Many things could happen in between. Just when it seemed Rajiv was considered to be staging a remarkable comeback in 1991, he was gone and even his assasination could not bring the requisite numbers for the party to stake claims which eventually it did under Narasimha Rao. Just when Mahajans, Jaitleys were hoping a repeat of Assembly elections on the back of shining India campaign, Sonia outsmarted them in cobbling together a workable majority of allinace partners. When Sushma threatended to wear the dress of a widow after tonsuring her head if Sonia were to become PM. So much for peoples mandate that the saffron brigade had at that time. Sonia in a self less sacrifice handpicked an outsider Manmohan singh much to the chagrin of fellow congressmen who nevertheless acquisced to this sudden rise of the sardar.

    This time around when  Congress is licking its wounds after debilitating defeats- nay rout at the hustings, Sonia told pressmen that the PM candidate will be revealed at the opportune moment. This sent tails wagging and names are now doing rounds from faithful Antony , to efficient Chidambaram, Dalit candidate Shinde, Meirakumar and out of blue a dark horseNandan Nilekani.  Sonia did not reveal any names nor rule out the possibility of Rahul taking up the leadership role but media is speculating. Of all the candidates, I feel Chidambaram will be the ideal candidate because he is mature, no nonsense leader with the grasp of economy and a tough task master evident from his handling of Ministry of Home Affairs following theMumbai terror attacks. Ofall congressmen he draws maximum criticism from BJP for he exposed the right wing terror, from Marxists for they fear him far more liberal than the most liberal when it comes to economic policies and he also faces opposition from within the party notably from people like Digvijay Singh and Kamalnath. Antony, supposedly the most loyal of them all, will be a disaster, because for all his integrity, thisman is a poor administrator. The record of Shinde is for everyone to see in his inept handling of the MHA.

    The outrageous suggestion of making Nilekani is a PM candidate is more preposterous than suggesting Narayanamurthi for Presidency. His UDAI is run on executive order and is against the basic pro poor policy of inclusive development propouded and practised by the party. He is more a hype than a real talent to lead a country.If by any quirck of fate it happens to Sonia to recommend a rank outsider, family loyalist and technocrat Sam Pitroda could be a better candidate. Pitroda is a recognised scientist of repute internationally and has been an advisor to PM on matters concerningTelecom Industry. His technology missions promising to solve all the woes of the country through technological innovations catpulted him to the cult status in the Rajiv era. This man unlike Nilekani is very modest. He could be faithful and he can take along his colleagues better than MMS.

    Nothing could be disastrous for the party if it were to chose again an outsider to lead the party instead of long time partymen. They should ignore the critiques from people like Pawar who would do anything to retain power. Rahul should take the lead and act decisively at this moment
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