The Times, London: “Voters in India’s most populous state decisively rejected Rahul Gandhi yesterday, dealing a blow to his hopes of becoming the fourth generation of the Nehru dynasty to rule the country.
The 41-year-old son of Rajiv Gandhi, the assassinated former Prime Minister, led the Congress party’s campaign in Uttar Pradesh
(UP), spending nights with the poorest villagers to counter accusations that he is too privileged to understand their concerns.
But Congress suffered devastating results in four of five state elections. It came fourth in UP, lost control in Goa, failed to win Punjab, was neck and neck in Uttarakhand and managed a clear victory only in the remote northeastern state of Manipur.
The poor showing will make it harder for the weakened ruling party to force through national reforms that could boost economic growth, which has slipped below 7 per cent, in the teeth of opposition from its coalition allies. The Indian stock market slumped at the prospect of two more years of “policy paralysis”.
Congress had been pinning its hopes of winning the national election due in 2014 on the youthful appeal of Mr Gandhi, who has been carefully insulated from the troubles that dog the national Government led by 79-year-old Manmohan Singh.”
Indian vote shakes Gandhi dynasty | The Times.
Just when India needs more reform, the Congress party falters badly in four out of five state elections. This was to be the forerunner to 2014 national elections. So Congress has a little over a year to catch up.
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