The new, more accessible Rahul Gandhi

Whenever one thought of the Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi, one of the most enduring images was of him sitting in a SPG Tata Safari, staring into his BlackBerry phone. The phone later made way for the IPhone but the image pretty much remained the same. Rahul seemed to avoid eye contact with everybody and generally kept to himself with a degree of aloofness, bordering on arrogance. This was his staple image - both for his party colleagues and journalists alike. Rahul Gandhi and his office were opaque entities with no sunshine.

Then the 54-day sabbatical happened and it has now been a year since that. Ever since, we have seen a completely different Rahul Gandhi taking centrestage, raising issue after issue and riling the government with his one-liners, the most famous being – "suit boot ki sarkar”. There was another change in his personality. The new Rahul is now more open to interaction, especially with hacks who he had studiously avoided till now.

In his new avtar, Rahul Gandhi is much more open and his office more accessible than before. He has also embraced social media and his office now has a Twitter handle. The communications department of the AICC is also being roped in to disseminate information and news about him. All this was unthinkable just two years ago.

Since November 2015, Rahul Gandhi has also started meeting journalists in groups. The meetings take place in the front lawns of his official residence on Tughlaq Lane. AICC communications department in-charge Randeep Surjewala is present during the interactions. The demand is now for more one-on-ones.

Rahul arrives on the dot to meet the media, and duly apologises if he is a bit late. His dog Pidhhi is either a teaser to his arrival or follows him. Often, somebody from his staff has to shoo the little dog away.

The questions start one by one initially and then they can meander off. Rahul is earnest in his answers, and what is more surprising is that his staff, sitting behind journalists, are always taking notes. All kind of questions are asked and to his credit, Rahul Gandhi gives honest answers which might not be in sync with the politics prevailing in the country.

The most asked questions are - where was he during his sabbatical in March/April in 2015 and whether his absence was an embarrassment to his party. He answers them with a smile detailing out that this is something not new as he has been packing off and leaving for quite some time now. Then the questions move on to other topics like when will he take over as the Congress president? What will happen to senior leaders of the Congress, namely the Sonia Gandhi team? Why didn’t he join the Cabinet of Dr Manmohan Singh?

Why doesn’t he meet us more often? Why don’t you give us interviews? Why did you want to tear up the ordinance of your government? Why did Congress forge an alliance with Lalu? To finally being asked when is he getting married?

Rahul Gandhi makes an effort to answer all the questions. He does not get rattled, answers them patiently, taking up more time than allotted. He talks about inner party democracy and wishes that there would be more active participation ground level upwards. Also, he says he was blamed for situations in which he had no decision making power. He talks about the need for alliances now that he is ready to take over the reins of the party to become the Congress president. But adds that the decision will rest with the party.

There is a visible change in Rahul Gandhi: from somebody who was busy handling stage-managed props, he is now more in command. One of the biggest political gambles which Rahul has taken post his sabbatical is the formation of the mahagathbandhan in Bihar and it paid off. This was followed by another massive gamble - a tactical alliance with the Left in West Bengal. The other act is the induction of strategist Prashant Kishore to bolster the poll artillery of the Congress.

Earlier Rahul was not keen to include him, but now Kishore too has a say in the strategy. At the moment, he is waiting for May 19, post which a clear road map for Punjab and UP will be on the table. He knows that a miracle in these states will enthuse the cadres. In both the states, there would be a substantial stamp of Prashant Kishore.

A journalist, who was present at one such meeting but does not wish to be named, asked, “his heart is in the right place but will he be able to manage the current political situation?” Another said, "it is difficult for his style of politics to be implemented".

Many others who have met him appreciate his earnestness and good intentions. But they are slightly wary of whether he has the requisite political talent to make it to the top.

A first-time journalist says she was pleasantly surprised at the way Rahul Gandhi interacted adding that the Congress VP is certainly not what he is made out to be on TV; he can "hold is own".

Bilal Sabzwari, a journalist who has been watching the Congress party for a long time and was also part of these interactions, remarks that the taste of the pudding is in the eating. This means "no doubt this is an improved Rahul Gandhi but the real test will happen at the hustings for Rahul". Another journalist, on the condition of anonymity, says that Rahul will "have to blend the old with the new else there can be serious trouble".

In politics, most ministers interact with journalists on a regular basis as this comes naturally to them. For Rahul Gandhi, this time came only after his third term as MP. He lacks the ruthless pragmatism of a Frank Underwood in the popular American political TV series House of Cards. These interactions have at best broken the ice for all journalists covering the Congress beat. It is also evident that an effort in the direction of transparency is being made.

At the end of it a meeting with Rahul once in two years with fifteen other journalists will not be a clincher in getting an image makeover which he and his party are looking for.