Since the party members cannot yet think beyond the family, it isn't surprising that some of them are calling for Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra to take charge. But such a move is fraught with difficulties. First, a change of guard in the top echelons will be a blow to Rahul Gandhi's prestige. So, his sister is unlikely to respond to the proposals.
Secondly, the move will not have Sonia Gandhi's blessings since she apparently still reposes faith in Rahul Gandhi's abilities. This assessment is substantiated by Digvijay Singh's appeal to Rahul Gandhi to be the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha because a leader "has to lead from the front".
There is little doubt, however, that the Congress is in a jam. Its purported leader has not only been derided by an anonymous former Madhya Pradesh minister as someone who arrives in a helicopter, addresses a rally and then flies off without interacting with local Congressmen, but is also being increasingly seen as a person who is unlikely to attain enough maturity in the near future to fulfil Digvijay Singh's hopes.
To make matters worse, his aloofness and arrogance have become all too apparent, suggesting that the disconnect between him and the ordinary party worker will remain. Priyanka Gandhi is different for, as the former human resource development minister Pallam Raju has said, she has a "natural ability to connect with the people".
