Gandhi is attempting, against the odds, to become the fourth member of his family to serve as prime minister.
By Joanna Slater and Joanna Slater Foreign correspondent covering South Asia Email Bio Follow Niha Masih Niha Masih Foreign correspondent covering India Bio Follow May 17 at 5:38 PM NEW DELHI — In India’s bruising national election, only one major candidate is talking about love.
On a recent campaign stop in his constituency of Amethi, Gandhi strode to the front of the gathering in a plain white kurta and black running shoes, joined by his younger sister Priyanka, a political celebrity in her own right. He spoke without a teleprompter, roaming the crowd and shaking hands. Gandhi’s campaign is freighted with decades of baggage and tragedy. His great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, was India’s first prime minister. His grandmother, Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi, also led the country. So, too, did his father, Rajiv. Both Indira and Rajiv were assassinated. .
Gandhi’s biggest win came in December, when the Congress party wrested control of three major state legislatures from the BJP, a sign of voter discontent with the nation’s ruling party. Winning the national election is considerably more difficult: Modi remains the most popular figure in the country and never misses an opportunity to attack Gandhi and his family as a corrupt and sclerotic dynasty.
Gandhi meditates regularly and is very close to his sister Priyanka, with whom he talks every day, said Sam Pitroda, a technology entrepreneur who was an adviser to Rajiv Gandhi. Unlike his father, Rahul Gandhi carefully analyzes decisions before acting, Pitroda said. “You can argue with him,” he said. “You can disagree with him.”
He talked about rising unemployment, the controversial fighter-jet deal and the “false promises” of the Modi government. When he mentioned his party’s main election pledge — providing a guaranteed income to the poorest 20 percent of Indians — the crowd shouted in approval.
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