Not a 'Pappu' anymore

BJP ally Shiv Sena believes the upcoming Gujarat elections have helped turn Rahul Gandhi into a leader

Bharatiya Janata Party ally Shiv Sena believes the upcoming Gujarat elections have helped turn “Rahul Gandhi into a leader” and that the BJP should have a “big heart” to accept the fact. An editorial in Saamana, a Marathi morning newspaper and mouthpiece of the Shiv Sena, said the polls have proved that Rahul Gandhi is not a “Pappu” anymore, referring to a name used by BJP supporters to mock him. The editorial acknowledged that Gandhi, who is expected to assume the role of Congress president in a few days, has his task cut out: “Gandhi will have to carve a way out of the dense fog of vilification and political maze the BJP has created for the party,” the editorial said.