The man who refuses to see himself as prospective PM

Meet the members of Team Rahul Gandhi and know the role they play in shaping his politcs

He prefers to work in low-key roles away from the centre of power. He has turned down Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s repeated pleas to join the cabinet; he has so far shied away from projecting himself as the Congress party’s choice for prime ministerial candidate in 2014; as the party’s No. 2 leader, he has spoken out against dynasty and tried to make his party democratic, less sycophantic. 

 

After helping the Congress party in bagging 21 out of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, his party's performance in the 2012 Assembly polls in the crucial state came as a dampener despite widespread campaigning. But the setback did not put brakes on the new generation Congress leader’s energy and he stepped on the gas and went into the issue of farmers and land acquisition like a gale force.

 

Rahul Gandhi believes that para-dropping national leaders to win votes in rural as well as in urban areas will not work anymore. The Congress vice-president has often said that “winning elections” is not his motto and that he wants better systems and a better political culture, both in the Congress and the country.

 

On his recent campaign trail — in Uttar Pradesh and then Punjab — Gandhi has spoken of youth and also poverty.  Experts say that around 120 million first-time voters will be crucial in determining if the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) — in power since 2004 — can win in what is predicted to be a close contest in 2014. Half of voters are under 26, with an even higher proportion in states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. 

 

Party insiders say Gandhi’s talk of a young future government is a smart move to pull in fence-sitting first-time voters. The moot question is: why has Gandhi woken up to this reality nearly a decade after he himself entered Parliament with a crop of eager freshers in tow? At present, there is still no clarity on what role Gandhi has envisaged for himself. At 43, the Amethi MP must make up his mind if the ‘youthful’ government is to be formed in 2014. 

 

In June, the Congress leader unveiled his organisational team that will lead the party into the next general polls. Ajay Maken and Gurudas Kamat were appointed as general secretaries and Shakeel Ahmed and Mohan Prakash were promoted to full-fledged general secretaries.

All four are seasoned politicians, although younger than the veterans who have been part of the high command structure for at least the past two decades. None among the known 'Rahul brigade' members were inducted into this top rung of the party machinery, contrary to a perception that Gandhi was attaching too much significance to youth. 

 

However, some of the younger leaders were also appointed secretaries as part of their grooming for bigger roles in the future.

On Gandhi’s insistence, the Grand Old Party has brought in media strategists to provide professional inputs. The induction of professionals into the party’s media strategising has seen the comeback of Rajiv Desai, founder of I-PAN public relations agency, who used to advise former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on media issues during parliamentary polls. AP Parigi, an eminent telecom, media and entertainment industry expert, is also assisting the party in its media strategy, reports The Economic Times.

Here’s a close look at key members of Team Rahul
and the role they play in shaping his politics

. Jairam Ramesh

The Rural Development Minister enjoys excellent rapport with both Sonia Gandhi and her son. He was pivotal in focusing on the aam aadmi and the youth in party manifestoes of 2004 and the 2009 elections. The Rajya Sabha MP played a crucial role in not only shaping the direct cash transfer scheme as Congress initiative for 2014 elections, but also marketing it as a winning idea. Translated the the Nehru-Gandhi scion's ideas into the land acquisition Bill.

. Deepender Singh Hooda
 

A Lok Sabha MP from Rohtak in Haryana, he is the state chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's son. He did a lot of the ground work in organising Gandhi’s padyatra in Uttar Pradesh. Hooda, who holds a business degree from the US, is considered down to earth and rooted. He made his debut as a good speaker on behalf of the party during the debate on foreign direct investment in retail in the Lok Sabha.

. Kanishka Singh
 

Son of the late foreign secretary SK Singh, he is a former investment banker from the US. According to media reports, all appointments at Gandhi's office are controlled by him. On most of Gandhi’s tours, Singh also stands in the crowd, notebook in hand, keeping a close eye on his boss. Working quietly in the background, Singh was part of the team that was behind Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's stunning sweep of the assembly polls in 2003.

. Sachin Rao
 

The business management graduate from the University of Michigan supervises the overall arrangements at 12 Tughlaq Lane, Gandhi's office. He co-ordinates affairs of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and National Students' Union of India (NSUI). He makes important interventions when it comes to social sector schemes, probably because the first time that Rao met Gandhi was when he was a member of the Centre for Civil Society. 

. Meenakshi Natarajan
 

Natrajan, Congress MP from Mandsaur, (Madhya Pradesh) is one of the members of Gandhi's youth brigade. The Congress vice president often cites her example as someone who has made a success of a political career despite not having a pedigree for it.  She acts as a bridge between Gandhi and the youth and students’ wings of the party.

. Milind Deora
 

The Minister of State for Communications and IT is known to be extremely close to the Gandhi scion. Unlike many others, Deora has proved his credentials and carved a niche for himself. His clout in Delhi is enormous. The Lok Sabha MP from the posh Mumbai (South) even criticises his own party or the government if he believes a decision is 'anti-people'.

. Jitendra Singh
 

The Sports Minister has made steady progress in the hierarchy of Gandhi's team. He proved his mettle in electoral politics and is well-versed with the inner workings of the Congress. He represents the Alwar royalty. The minister was the party's secretary in charge of the IYC. He ensured that local Youth Congress leaders spread the message of development in central social welfare schemes.

. KB Byju
 

Former SPG sharpshooter officer quit the force in 2010 and stepped into an active role in Gandhi's office. He handles Gandhi’s outstation visits and the media as well. During the 2012 UP elections, he was on the road for more than 60 days as part of Gandhi’s advance team. 

. Kaushal Vidyarthee
 

Vidyarthee has emerged as a key backroom boy of Team Rahul, and is the youngest entrant. He has a DPhil from Oxford University and writes a blog replete with quotes from tech wizards like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Currently, he is the programme manager at Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana, one of the Congress’s schemes for poverty reduction and women’s empowerment, named after Gandhi’s father. 

 

This is the team that will stand behind Gandhi as he takes on the formidable Narendra Modi election machinery. While senior leader such as like AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Ahmed Patel, Kapil Sibal and Digvijaya Singh continue to handle political management of the party, Gandhi’s core team offers key inputs on policy measures, prepares background papers and briefs Congress spokespersons on issues.

True, most of those on Team Rahul come from privileged backgrounds. But a common thread that binds them is their desire to be tools for change.