3/22/2011 Cable Viewer

Viewing cable 05NEWDELHI1661, RAHUL GANDHI: LACKLUSTER LEADER

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin

05NEWDELHI1661 2005-03-03 12:12 2011-03-21 01:01 SECRET Embassy New Delhi

Appears in these articles:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/the-india-cables/article1556680.ece

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the
original cable is not available.

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001661

SIPDIS
STATE FOR INR/B
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/02/2015
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL IN
Currently released so far... SUBJECT: RAHUL GANDHI: LACKLUSTER LEADER
6236 / 251,287
REF: 04 STATE 136184
Articles
Classified By: DCM Robert O. Blake, Jr. for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
Brazil
Sri Lanka ¶1. (S) In a March 1 conversation with Poloff, influential columnist and
political insider Saeed Naqvi commented on Rahul Gandhi at some length. Naqvi
United Kingdom prefaced his remarks by noting that he was a personal friend of Rahul's father,
Sweden Rajiv Gandhi, and a well-wisher of the Gandhi family. Naqvi was initially
Editorial delighted when Sonia Gandhi projected Rahul as the heir apparent, but has since
United States lost faith. He claims that the word among Congress insiders, including those in
Latin America the coterie surrounding Sonia Gandhi, is that Rahul will never become Prime
Minister for several reasons. Saying that he ""refused to indulge in gossip,""
Egypt Naqvi claimed that it is increasingly common knowledge that Rahul suffers from
Yemen ""personality problems"" of an emotional or psychological nature that are severe
Jordan enough to prevent him from functioning as PM.

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¶2. (S) Naqvi also claimed that his Congress contacts tell him that Rahul has
failed as an MP representing the Gandhi pocket borough in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh.
Congress purportedly hoped to create a revival campaign in UP based around Rahul
and his appeal as a member of the Gandhi dynasty, but has now given up, as he
""is causing more harm than good"" and operates at cross-purposes to the state
Congress leadership. According to Naqvi, Rahul has done nothing for UP except
to make pro-forma appearances in Amethi, and has ""made no impression on the
people of the state."" This is leading to growing discouragement that Congress
will be able revive and take over the state from Chief Minister Mulayam Singh
Yadav and his Samajwadi Party (SP) any time in the near future. This growing
impatience is reportedly fueling internal debates as to whether it would be
better for Congress to accept a junior partner status and cultivate an
appropriate regional ally, such as Mayawati and her Dalit-based BSP party.

A B C D F G H I ¶3. (S) Naqvi stated that the Gandhi family always preferred that Rahul's
J K L M N O P Q sister, Priyanka, enter politics, as she was judged to be more intelligent and
R S T U V W Y Z savvy. Arguing that Sonia Gandhi is an Italian mother, and ""like an Indian
mother,"" has a protective feeling regarding her son, Naqvi speculated that
Sonia apparently went against her better judgment and selected Rahul over his
Browse by tag sister as ""heir apparent."" Naqvi claimed that Gandhi dynastic politics had no
future, as the family has run out of prime ministerial candidates with
A B C D E F G H appropriate charisma. Indira Gandhi was the last member of the dynasty capable
I J K L M N O P of being an effective PM and Rajiv would never have won re-election had he not
Q R S T U V W X been assassinated. Naqvi implied that the common impression among Congress
Y Z insiders is that Rahul is far below even his father in political ability.

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¶4. (C) Comment: Naqvi offered an unusually sharp commentary of views we have
heard elsewhere. While our Congress contacts invariably hail Sonia as a
""visionary leader"" with a special feeling for India's ""common man"" there are
few in the party who are willing to offer such glowing comments on Rahul. Rahul
disdains the Delhi social scene, in contrast to most of his political peers. In
the few instances we have come across Rahul, he has kept a very low profile and
kept mostly to himself or close friends. Despite signs of growing unhappiness
from Congress insiders regarding Rahul, however, he continues to be the subject
of press reports that rave about his participation in the early January
Congress Youth training camp and suggest that he is preparing to take the mantle
of the ""leader of young India"" and ""blossoming into a leader with mass
acceptability."" During the two-day youth training session, Rahul engaged in

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Check our Reddit against closing the plants -- to defending the GOI,s globalization policy and
economic reforms. Given this publicity machine that Rahul enjoys, we, unlike
Twitter this Naqvi, are not yet prepared to write him off just yet.
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