In fashion reminiscent of the late Indira Gandhi, the helicopter circled the huge meeting area before putting down at the helipad, and showering the crowd in a fine mist of red dust. A convoy of two white Ambassadors and a jeep conducted Sonia to the dais; whence she ran up to the stage in a manner that reminded onlookers of her mother in law.
"The people of this place," a Congress worker pointed out, "have always loved Indiraji. They know what it means to belong to a family that has sacrificed itself for the nation."
Sonia revived that memory -- with repeated references to her slain mother-in-law and husband. And laid down, for the first time, the social issues that the Congress would use as part of its election plank.
"They have died, but their dreams for the country live on in the heart of every Indian," she thundered. "For this is the time of battle, the time to squarely face the challenges before us. We need to progress... employment... emancipation of women, food... education... fight inflation. Only a stable government can do that. Remember, the Congress is your friend.... There are people who are trying to destabilise the country by raising issues of caste, religion and communalism. Don't let them do that. It is bad for the country. We need a permanent government. And it is only the Congress which has succeeded in giving the country nine permanent governments. So, please give your precious vote to the Congress."
Surprisingly, there were also references to leaders the Congress had long preferred to forget -- Sonia began her speech by paying tribute to Subhas Chandra Bose.
The roaring response of the crowd actually saw Sonia smile, interspersed with regular waves at the crowd. There were no disappointed faces as Priyanka Vadra did not put in an appearance. "Priyanka is a child," said an old Congress party worker patronisingly, "She is not yet ready to be a leader. It is Soniaji we want. Any woman who can bear the burnt of so many tragedies and still look to the comfort and wellbeing of her children, get her daughter married before she turns to support a floundering Congress can surely solve our problems."
All the Congress cadres expect Sonia to fight the election. "Of course, she will fight the election. She is the next prime minister, our leader who willGo To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Imtiaz Maqbool's South Asian Politics topic, please visit the Discussions page.