Is it time for Rahul Gandhi to let Priyanka steer the Congress?

Even after over a decade, the basic contradiction between Rahul and Congress remains unresolved. He is the party’s most recognisable face, but not its most convincing campaigner. He commands loyalty, but not winnability. He draws crowds, but not momentum. Under his leadership, Congress lost three Lok Sabha elections and a series of assembly polls.

Why is it so? Rahul is fighting personal battles, not the BJP. If you want to understand why Rahul keeps choosing fights that do not reliably convert into votes, the answer is not that he is ignorant of bread-and-butter issues. He often talks about unemployment, inflation, paper leaks, and inequality. But he is not persistent enough on these issues to make them successful campaign themes.