Pressure mounts on Congress Party

Though media speculation that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is going to resign on January 3, 2014 to make way for Rahul Gandhi has been junked by the Congress Party, one thing is certainly clear that the party will have no option but to announce its prime ministerial candidate for 2014 Lok Sabha elections very soon. With falling popularity graph as reflected in the defeat in just concluded assembly elections, the Congress party has been put in a tight spot. The main opposition BJP has already announced the name of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate and he with full support of his party has been campaigning for the elections strongly all over the country. In the given situation, the Congress Party has to announce its candidate that may be none other than Party Vice President Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The media speculation about PM resigning on Jan 3 may be the handiwork of the Congress leaders who are strongly pleading for Rahul Gandhi as their prime ministerial candidate. Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambram also favours the announcement of party’s prime ministerial candidate. As far as media speculation about the resignation of Prime MInister is concerned, it is now no longer any issue. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is certainly nowhere in the reckoning for the third consecutive time. Even if PM Singh resigns now and Rahul Gandhi is made Prime Minister by the Congress Party, there would be no improvement in the electoral prospect of the party in Lok Sabha elections due to paucity of time. Falling popularity of the Congress Party due to misgovernance, price rise and corruption in its government at the Centre clearly reflects that the Party can not win majority or emerge as the largest political party in Lok Sabha after the elections in 2014. This is the main reason behind reluctance of Rahul Gandhi to take the responsibility of leading the party as its prime ministerial candidate. It is clear in the nation that the Congress party can not move even a step without the consent of Nehru-Gandhi family. Moreover, it is also clear that the member of Nehru-Gandhi family is not compatible to lead the coalition government at the Centre. So, in the given situation of impossibility of the Congress Party to win majority of the seats in 2014 Lok Sabha elections to form government on its own, Rahul Gandhi is not enthusiastic at the idea of his name being announced as party’s prime ministerial candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. BJP has already painted 2014 Lok Sabha elections as straight electoral fight between its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. With good gathering in Modi’s meetings, BJP is in upbeat mood and appears to be self assured of the power at the Centre in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. So, Congress leaders mounts pressure on the party to announce the name of Rahul Gandhi as party’s prime ministerial candidate to counteract the BJP’s onslaught led by Modi. Rahul Gandhi as party’s prime ministerial candidate will undoubtedly galvanize and energize the party cadres and workers to fight with confidence in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.