The latest buzz or trend in the political circle especially among the Congress I party men and functionaries is calling ‘Rahul Gandhi’ as ‘Yuvraj’, which means heir apparent.
It was the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ms.Mayavathi, who coined the term ‘Yuvraj’ for Rahul Gandhi and frequently referred to him so, perhaps rather derisively, once the name of ‘Rahul Gandhi’ was mooted out by the National Congress leader and Union Agriculture Minister Mr.Sharad Pawar, as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in the year 2009.
BJP, the main rival and opposition party having already announced and projected the name of Mr.L.K.Advani as their Prime Ministerial candidate, revealed their clarity of thought and purpose and their readiness for elections.Naturally Mr.Sharad Pawar and some party MPs from Congress I proceeded to refer him as ‘Yuvraj’ even in the course of a debate in the Lok Sabha much to the chagrin of Mr.Rahul Gandhi.
As far UP Chief Minister Ms.Mayavathi is concerned, she considered Rahul Gandhi M.P as one of her rival and threat to her party, because Rahul Gandhi frequently visits his Amethi constituency in the U.P, behaves rather in an unassuming way, rather unconcerned about his security,mingles with common people in other words we can say voters, drinks tea in an ordinary tea stall, takes rest in a hamlet and often attacks opposition parties that the schemes of the central government are not being implemented by the Opposition ruled states. Ms.Mayavathi considered this as a threat to her own position, and chose to attack Rahul as ‘Yuvraj’, thereby meaning Congress I is trying to impose dynastic rule in India.
But Rahul Gandhi remains unperturbed by these comments and attacks.He is not hasty to assume power as a heir- apparent..Even in the recent cabinet expansion and reshuffle made by the Prime Minister Mr.Manmohan Singh,he refused the cabinet birth offered to him preferring to devote more time to party politics.He also does not like to be called as ‘Yuvraj’ and appealed to his partymen not to call him so. Realising the real meaning and ramifications of being called as ‘Yuvraj’,Rahul Gandhi himself does not want his name to be projected for the Prime Ministerial candidate and he clearly spelt out the name of Dr.Manmohan Singh, who is more experienced and a high profile personality, to be projected as a Prime Ministerial candidate for the forthcoming elections, thereby ending all speculations and controversies of the term ‘Yuvraj’
Though Rahul Gandhi may not like to be called himself as Yuvraj , the days are not far away, when he assumes the highest office of Prime Ministership of India.