Both Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav are the products of dynasty politics. Though both Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav are the products of the same dynasty politics, the former has, at best, failed to take off while the latter has demonstrated ample signs of a politician who is there to stay on the political horizon for a longer time.
Dynasty in politics is very much akin to that in Bollywood. Several actors were launched but some - such as Rishi Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt and Hrithik Roshan - clicked, while the others - for example Abhishek Bachchan, Rajiv Kapoor, Kumar Gaurav and Neil Nitin Mukesh - more or less flopped.
However, politics is tougher than Bollywood. Here retakes do not take place. The politicians survive in public life. They are constantly under public gaze. Their private life is also under scrutiny. What they speak and how they conduct also contributes to their success or failure in politics.
RAHUL GANDHI
Evaluated on these parameters, Rahul, who was born with a silver spoon, leaves much to be desired. He got the traditional bastion of Amethi to contest Lok Sabha elections but he has failed to even take proper care of his constituency. His victory margin of 3.7 lakh votes in 2009 got reduced to less than half in 2014 against BJP's Smriti Irani. If the trend continues, it will not be a major surprise if he loses in 2019.
The Nehru-Gandhi scion is still being tried and tested despite having been launched in politics 12 years ago in 2004. His contribution to the Congress can well be remembered for visiting the homes of Dalits (that too only in Uttar Pradesh) and coming up with catchphrases such as "suit-boot ki sarkar", "fair and lovely" and "arhar Modi". However, it is also debatable whether these jibes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi were coined by him.
But what the Congress would not like Rahul to be remembered for are his mysterious escapes at intervals to undisclosed destinations for holidaying and his image of being a reluctant politician. If Rahul's catchphrases have stuck on Modi and the ruling BJP, his gaffes have become a source of embarrassment for the Congress. For instance, his statement that "a Dalit needs Jupiter's escape velocity to achieve success" or "People call us an elephant... We are not an elephant... we are a beehive" invited immense ridicule.
The Congress vice-president has not yet won the confidence of a crucial section of his party. There is difference of opinion within the party over accepting him as their leader. The old guard in particular is wary of his capabilities and is apprehensive of the party's future under his leadership.
It is for these reasons that despite Congress president Sonia Gandhi not keeping good health and organisational elections having been postponed, the reins of the party have not yet been handed over to Rahul.
Also, as far as electoral politics is concerned, the Congress does not have anything to boast about any achievement under his leadership. Except for victory in a handful of states such as Karnataka and a few in the Northeastern, he does not have much to his credit. The Congress virtually fought the 2014 Lok Sabha elections with him being its face but it lost miserably, the most humiliating in its electoral history, having been reduced to just 44 of the 543 seats. Rahul, of course, can boast of victory in 2015 Bihar Assembly elections. But here, it is the junior most partner in the Grand Alliance, with Lalu Prasad's RJD and JD(U) as the senior parties.
AKHILESH YADAV
Born on July 1, 1973, the Yadav scion is three years younger than Rahul. However, he is four years senior to the Congress vice-president in politics, having contested the first Lok Sabha election (which in fact was a bye-election) in 2000.
Like Rahul, Akhilesh too has won three Lok Sabha elections. However, he quit the Lower House midway in 2012 to take over as the CM of India's most populated state at a young age of 38 - a daunting task indeed. In the process, he became one of the youngest persons to become a CM.
Akhilesh has silently been governing UP for the past four-and-a-half years. He has been focusing on development of infrastructure and modernisation of the state. Roads, bridges and power have shown improvement in his term.
The UP chief minister is a youth icon in his state. He is also popular among the women. His government has also launched several welfare schemes for farmers, labourers, middle and lower middle classes.
However, Akhilesh is constrained on three fronts. But he has accepted defeat despite these road blocks. Firstly, his government has not managed to publicise the initiatives it has taken and the good works it has accomplished in different sectors.
Secondly, the Samajwadi Party government has been beset with law and order problem. This has remained a constant irritant and a source of bad publicity of Akhilesh's governance. The Muzaffarnagar riots, Badaun rape case, Bulandshahr rape case and now the Bijnor murders have robbed some sheen off Akhilesh's good work.
As if the law and order problem was not enough, the ongoing recent feud in the Yadav clan has sullied the image of the Samajwadi Party as well as the Akhilesh government.
However, this feud has underlined Akhilesh's maturity as a politician. He is fighting against all odds, with both uncle Shivpal Yadav and father Mulayam Singh Yadav taking decisions unfavourable to the state government. Akhilesh has been trying to convey a message to the people that he does not tolerate corruption and inefficiency. While Mulayam and Shivpal's focus is the party and its cadre, the chief minister is targeting all those voters who give thumbs up to good governance. This may help him during the elections.
BATTLING ODDS
Both Akhilesh and Rahul are battling against odds. The Yadav scion has maintained his composure and charm despite adversities. The Gandhi scion has carved a niche of being angry, loud and sarcastic. These attitudes speak volumes about their confidence.
Akhilesh is here to stay. However, the same may not hold true for Rahul. The Congress has already started experimenting on propping up his sister Priyanka Gandhi. Her role in UP Assembly is set to increase. This in itself is a poor reflection on Rahul's image.
Dynasty in politics is very much akin to that in Bollywood. Several actors were launched but some - such as Rishi Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt and Hrithik Roshan - clicked, while the others - for example Abhishek Bachchan, Rajiv Kapoor, Kumar Gaurav and Neil Nitin Mukesh - more or less flopped.
However, politics is tougher than Bollywood. Here retakes do not take place. The politicians survive in public life. They are constantly under public gaze. Their private life is also under scrutiny. What they speak and how they conduct also contributes to their success or failure in politics.
RAHUL GANDHI
Evaluated on these parameters, Rahul, who was born with a silver spoon, leaves much to be desired. He got the traditional bastion of Amethi to contest Lok Sabha elections but he has failed to even take proper care of his constituency. His victory margin of 3.7 lakh votes in 2009 got reduced to less than half in 2014 against BJP's Smriti Irani. If the trend continues, it will not be a major surprise if he loses in 2019.
The Nehru-Gandhi scion is still being tried and tested despite having been launched in politics 12 years ago in 2004. His contribution to the Congress can well be remembered for visiting the homes of Dalits (that too only in Uttar Pradesh) and coming up with catchphrases such as "suit-boot ki sarkar", "fair and lovely" and "arhar Modi". However, it is also debatable whether these jibes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi were coined by him.
But what the Congress would not like Rahul to be remembered for are his mysterious escapes at intervals to undisclosed destinations for holidaying and his image of being a reluctant politician. If Rahul's catchphrases have stuck on Modi and the ruling BJP, his gaffes have become a source of embarrassment for the Congress. For instance, his statement that "a Dalit needs Jupiter's escape velocity to achieve success" or "People call us an elephant... We are not an elephant... we are a beehive" invited immense ridicule.
The Congress vice-president has not yet won the confidence of a crucial section of his party. There is difference of opinion within the party over accepting him as their leader. The old guard in particular is wary of his capabilities and is apprehensive of the party's future under his leadership.
It is for these reasons that despite Congress president Sonia Gandhi not keeping good health and organisational elections having been postponed, the reins of the party have not yet been handed over to Rahul.
Also, as far as electoral politics is concerned, the Congress does not have anything to boast about any achievement under his leadership. Except for victory in a handful of states such as Karnataka and a few in the Northeastern, he does not have much to his credit. The Congress virtually fought the 2014 Lok Sabha elections with him being its face but it lost miserably, the most humiliating in its electoral history, having been reduced to just 44 of the 543 seats. Rahul, of course, can boast of victory in 2015 Bihar Assembly elections. But here, it is the junior most partner in the Grand Alliance, with Lalu Prasad's RJD and JD(U) as the senior parties.
AKHILESH YADAV
Born on July 1, 1973, the Yadav scion is three years younger than Rahul. However, he is four years senior to the Congress vice-president in politics, having contested the first Lok Sabha election (which in fact was a bye-election) in 2000.
Like Rahul, Akhilesh too has won three Lok Sabha elections. However, he quit the Lower House midway in 2012 to take over as the CM of India's most populated state at a young age of 38 - a daunting task indeed. In the process, he became one of the youngest persons to become a CM.
Akhilesh has silently been governing UP for the past four-and-a-half years. He has been focusing on development of infrastructure and modernisation of the state. Roads, bridges and power have shown improvement in his term.
The UP chief minister is a youth icon in his state. He is also popular among the women. His government has also launched several welfare schemes for farmers, labourers, middle and lower middle classes.
However, Akhilesh is constrained on three fronts. But he has accepted defeat despite these road blocks. Firstly, his government has not managed to publicise the initiatives it has taken and the good works it has accomplished in different sectors.
Secondly, the Samajwadi Party government has been beset with law and order problem. This has remained a constant irritant and a source of bad publicity of Akhilesh's governance. The Muzaffarnagar riots, Badaun rape case, Bulandshahr rape case and now the Bijnor murders have robbed some sheen off Akhilesh's good work.
As if the law and order problem was not enough, the ongoing recent feud in the Yadav clan has sullied the image of the Samajwadi Party as well as the Akhilesh government.
However, this feud has underlined Akhilesh's maturity as a politician. He is fighting against all odds, with both uncle Shivpal Yadav and father Mulayam Singh Yadav taking decisions unfavourable to the state government. Akhilesh has been trying to convey a message to the people that he does not tolerate corruption and inefficiency. While Mulayam and Shivpal's focus is the party and its cadre, the chief minister is targeting all those voters who give thumbs up to good governance. This may help him during the elections.
BATTLING ODDS
Both Akhilesh and Rahul are battling against odds. The Yadav scion has maintained his composure and charm despite adversities. The Gandhi scion has carved a niche of being angry, loud and sarcastic. These attitudes speak volumes about their confidence.
Akhilesh is here to stay. However, the same may not hold true for Rahul. The Congress has already started experimenting on propping up his sister Priyanka Gandhi. Her role in UP Assembly is set to increase. This in itself is a poor reflection on Rahul's image.
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