She has been dubbed “Saint Sonia” by the Indian
media for renouncing the leadership of the world’s
largest democracy after propelling the Congress party to
an upset win over the Hindu nationalists.
But even though Sonia Gandhi decided not to take the post,
preferring to push family loyalist Manmohan Singh, 71, into
the job, there is no chance that the famed Nehru-Gandhi
dynasty is headed for the history books.
In fact, India’s
“first family,” which has supplied the country
with three prime ministers, is back in business —
and with a vengeance. While Gandhi may have opted out
of being prime minister, as Congress party president and
chairperson of the United Party Alliance — the name
of the new 20-party coalition government — she will
be at the heart of decision-making.
“She has managed
to retain power without acquiring the burden of office,”
said Indian Today editor Prabhu Chawla. “The president
of Congress will be more powerful than the prime minister
of India.” Also, Singh, a brilliant economist known
for his Spartan tastes, strong integrity and dislike of
the limelight, is unlikely to ever take centre stage over
the charismatic Gandhis.
In a twist of fate, Italian-born
Gandhi’s act of renunciation has actually enhanced
the mystique of the family, analysts say. Renunciation
of material things and high rank has always been prized
in India as morally principled. Sonia’s daughter,
Priyanka, 32, said her mother’s act “was consistent
with Indian culture.”
“She now stands as
the tallest Indian,” analyst BG Verghese of the
Centre for Policy Research think-tank in New Delhi said.
“Stepping down will only enhance her authority over
the party and her position in the government.”
Gandhi, 57, widow of assassinated
former premier Rajiv Gandhi, silenced in a stroke slurs
about her foreign origins that the previous Hindu nationalist
government said made her unfit to lead India.
Her decision that she ascribed
to an “inner voice” disarmed the opposition
Bharatiya Janata Party, which had hoped to revive its
Hindu nationalist support base by leading a drive to free
India from the yoke of foreign rule.
All, except former premier
Atal Behari Vajpayee, had said they would boycott her
oath of office ceremony. One of its women leaders had
said she would shave her head as a traditional symbol
of mourning if Gandhi took power.
Analysts also say all her
decisions would have been scrutinized through the prism
of her foreign origins even though she arrived in India
as a bride in her early 20s and has transformed herself
into a sari-clad Indian who speaks Hindu fluently, albeit
with an accent. “She would have constantly been
on the defensive. Manmohan Singh, who enjoys tremendous
goodwill among political parties across the board, is
a much harder target,” said political commentator
Bhavdeep Kang.
Analysts also say Gandhi’s
decision to refuse the prime minister’s job could
smooth the path for one of her children, Rahul, 33, or
Priyanka — also touted as a future prime minister
for her ability to connect with voters — to take
the post one day. “It (taking the job) would have
hurt Congress and that could have stood in Rahul’s
way for later,” said political analyst Neerja Choudhury.
Newspapers say Gandhi’s
soft-spoken dimpled son Rahul, 34, who won a seat in vote-rich
Uttar Pradesh state, will be appointed party general secretary
with the job of reviving the grassroots organisation of
Congress — written off before the election as having
one foot in the political grave. Gandhi’s move to
step aside has filled many Indians with respect and in
the past days the Indian media has been filled with newspaper
columns and letters eulogising her decision.
“I voted BJP because
I wanted continuity in government but her decision was
quite remarkable — you wouldn’t see any Indian
politician doing that,” said hospital administrator
Pooja Prasad.
But Chawla said Sonia Gandhi
had decided in March not to be premier even if Congress
won — which at the time seemed most unlikely, with
the BJP high in opinion polls.
“Once she had made
up her mind, she decided to bring Rahul into active politics,
she was following the family script,” Chawla said,
referring to the Nehru-Gandhi tradition of grooming its
scions for political office. “She has strengthened
the dynasty.”
