Is Rahul Gandhi really stupid or has he just been branded as such?

December 22, 2022

There cannot be smoke without fire. There might be some truth in the way RaGa is projected in social media. Social media need spicy half-truth sensational stories just like films and Bollywood in particular need item number songs to popularise the film. Item numbers are launched much before the film and based on feedback of that item number actual film was launched.

Consider the recent Gujarat state assembly election 2022 which congress performed poorly. Congress lost power in Gujarat in 1995 and was gaining seat share subsequently during every five-year assembly result but failed for form a government since then. Congress got 45 seats in 1995, 53 in 1998, 51 in 2002 post Gujarat riot, 59 in 2007, 61 in 2012, 78 in 2017 showing improvement in every election due to anti-incumbency factor.

But 2022 result was a disaster for congress with 17 seats. What could be the reasons? There can be many factors which were outside the control of congress like high decibel AAP campaign with two CMs which eaten away major congress vote bank.

One major factor which was under congress control was active campaign by Rahul Gandhi who was participating Bharat Jodo Yatra which was planned a year earlier. Hardik Patel, who switched to BJP before election from congress and won the election mentioned this as a congress blunder (link attached). Even the bigger blunder was inviting Medha Patkar to Bharat Jodo Yatra just before the Gujarat election. Madha Patkar was disliked in the state for blocking Narmada projects for more than a decade and the project really transformed the state agro economy. This gave mileage to rival BJP that congress is sympathetic to tukre-tukre gang, project blocker gang, anti-national NGO gang etc. Congress may have lost 5% votes due to Medha Patkar presence in Bharat Jodo Yatra.