The active involvement of the former Congress president, Rahul Gandhi, in his new parliamentary constituency, Wayanad, has not impressed many in his party. Rahul visited Wayanad twice within a short span of time to stand with the people affected by the floods. But most Congress leaders see this as a big fall for Rahul — from the supreme national Opposition leader to just a member of Parliament. Apart from posting occasional tweets on burning issues and making a futile trip to Srinagar, Rahul has been missing from the national horizon.

Some Congress veterans who have spent decades in the party and have been loyal to the family since Indira Gandhi’s days are feeling distressed, arguing that Rahul, in a moment of emotional weakness, disinvested in his own political stature. They insist that it will be impossible for him to return as Congress president and re-establish himself as the main challenger to the prime minister, Narendra Modi. “You can’t imagine how much fun Mr Modi will have at Rahul’s cost if he were to accept the post of Congress president again,” a former minister said, lamenting that Rahul had almost dismantled his leadership after a valiant struggle in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. For most of these leaders, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, too, has been a disappointment as she has rarely been among the people after the elections. Worse, her tweets are being seen as pinpricks, devoid of any political insight and maturity.

Piyush Goyal is known to be a favourite of Modi and the BJP president (PTI)

Heart’s desire

The untimely demise of the Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Union finance minister, Arun Jaitley, has given rise to talks of a possible change in the finance ministry. In BJP circles, it is widely believed that Nirmala Sitharaman was Jaitley’s choice after he decided not to join the second Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre on health grounds. Piyush Goyal, known to be a favourite of Modi and the BJP president, Amit Shah, was tipped to become the finance minister, but lost to Jaitley’s wish, according to whispers in the corridors of power.

Goyal lost out on account of the strained relations he shared with Jaitley when he was temporarily in charge of the finance ministry. He was given the charge of the ministry on two occasions, when Jaitley had to undergo surgeries. He even presented the last budget of the first Modi government. Although Goyal, in his condolence message, said that Jaitley was like a mentor to him, unlike Sitharaman and many others who penned articles to elaborate on the importance of the former finance minister, he refrained from doing so. This has been noted in political gossip. Goyal, at present, handles two important portfolios — the railways and commerce — but his heart still craves the finance portfolio, according to leaders close to him. It remains to be seen when his wish will be fulfilled.

Deep anguish

The interim Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, is said to be deeply anguished by the “irresponsible statements” made by some senior leaders, particularly on how to deal with Narendra Modi. Sources say she has felt a sense of betrayal, as most of those who made public statements that harmed the party — comments on Article 370 as well as criticism of the PM — have long been an integral part of the high command. In Congress culture, disgruntled leaders tend to erupt whenever the central leadership is weakened after defeats. This happened in 2014, followed by a similar public discourse on the cause for the electoral decimation. But what has saddened Sonia is that the discordant voices belong to people who were holding key responsibilities in election management. Jairam Ramesh, who triggered the latest row with his objection to the tendency to ‘demonize’ Modi, was the convenor of the core committee that looked after strategy. The problem is that Sonia is not in a position to act against these people, who have been close to the family and important parts of the leadership structure.

Head to head

With by-elections looming for 17 assembly constituencies in Karnataka, the Congress is firming up a pincer movement to defeat Ramesh Jarkiholi, the rebel leader who triggered the collapse of the previous government. Disqualified and waiting to hear from the Supreme Court, the Congress is set to field his younger brother, Lakhan Jarkiholi, to take on the rebel in the Gokak constituency. With two Jarkiholis — Satish and Lakhan — on their side, Congress leaders are biting their nails to see how this formula will work.

Everyone who knows PC Siddaramaiah will be aware of his love for stylish watches and cool sunglasses Telegraph file picture

Footnote

Everyone who knows PC Siddaramaiah will be aware of his love for stylish watches and cool sunglasses. The latest pair of shades seemed too cool for many who just went by the looks of the Oakley product. Some even jokingly commented that Siddaramaiah had gravitated towards the style set by Tamil leaders like MG Ramachandran and M Karunanidhi. It was only when the Congress leader tweeted that they realized he had undergone a quick cataract surgery after a routine health check that revealed the reason for his dimming vision in his left eye.