This name strikes a chord with most of the girls, I should say Rahul is such a cute name let me admit. I think Shah Rukh has used it at least three times or more I don’t know, but this phenomenon called Rahul in Indian polity is a rare find. A rare find I say because he isn’t one of us and yet he has re-branded himself to the core and made it up to look like ordinary worker as he calls himself.

The most eligible bachelor well after Atal Bihari Vajpayee now Rahul Gandhi has delivered where few would have expected him to deliver especially even in the congress.

Now let’s reconstruct the branding phenomenon that marked the sweet dimple cheeked Member of Parliament who went about his way strengthening his party with the youth and more so striking a chord where ever he went.

Ofcourse in the course of the events he could almost make life difficult for all the aged coterie around his mother Sonia. But he has made the move so relevant that he took a road less Traveled that congress can go it alone especially in Uttar Pradesh.

During the run up to the polls, we could see how this man exerted enough influence on the young and the old. Of course the old wanted to have a glimpse of the grandson of Indira Gandhi and son of Rajiv Gandhi. The Youth had more reason to cheer with Rahul armed with an enchanting smile and a dimple cheek and his white flowing kurta made him an icon in the poll fray. He had this habit of trespassing security cauldron and mix with the people. No PR stunt this, he actually carried a baby boy to the stage at one of the meets in Tamilnadu.

So when all the oldies in the congress were down to fighting the elections or sometimes among themselves, we see one person willing to wait and take things one at a time. Punjab and Gujarat could be models for the congress intra party democracy which is an oxymoron for the party.

And they did go it alone in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, though Bihar was not influenced, UP at least sent some 22 MPs who will show allegiance to the brand Rahul without any misgivings or afterthought.

Now as the clash of egos and bruised ones stay after the Ministerial postings there are few picks of Rahul in the cabinet too. The likes of Sachin Pilot, Scindia makes it obvious that Rahul is a factor to be factored in. He is thinking long term thats perfectly not a politicians point of view and thats where the statesman Rahul is being nurtured and I think part of this process belongs to Sonia Gandhi As well as Priyanka.

Like mother like son. Illustrating that end of all political campaigns need not be the power of the Ministerial posts, Rahul has opted out to be a Congress worker than be in the cabinet which he could have had a ministry of choice but he has taken a calculated path to make it happen when the appointed time comes.

There are some things we need to talk about, of course that the English MSM has gone head over heels to portray Rahul despite his being so media shy, Rahul is being built as a young Firebrand politician who knows what he is doing. I should admit you need to have guts to talk about a One rupee and say that 90 paise earmarked does not go to the addressed.

I think PM Rahul is not far away and we should be blessed to have him in, of course with the kind of promises he is making and if it can come true then he sure had won the election hands down today.

We shall discuss the making of Brand Rahul, is it by default or a planned strategy in the next few posts.

R Senthilkumar