Rise and fall of leaders

Since the Congress' 2014 defeat, doubts have been raised about Rahul Gandhi's leadership qualities

Akhilesh Yadav entered active politics around 2000. Rahul Gandhi joined him as member of Parliament in 2004. In 2012, Yadav shifted to state politics, canvassed for his party on a bicycle — the symbol of the Samajwadi Party (SP) — and became the youngest chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

In 2004 and 2009, Gandhi campaigned for the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections in fits and starts. He continued as Parliament member till 2014 despite nudges from the party and then from prime minister Manmohan Singh to be a member of the Cabinet. 

One of them embraced responsibility; the other shirked it,