The political impact of Rahul Gandhi's legal woes

Going to jail is a rite of passage for politicians, and they tend to emerge stronger if the punishment is seen to be unfair

Unable to marginalise him politically, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using the courts to eliminate Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the political scene. His maximum sentence of two years for defaming everyone with the surname Modi had been upheld by the sessions court in Surat and now by the Gujarat High Court. He has lost his seat in the Lok Sabha and cannot contest an election for the next eight years.

The Congress party will appeal to the Supreme Court to quash his conviction. However, the political consequence may not necessarily be adverse for Rahul Gandhi, the