In a positive development, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has initiated the process of reviewing the performance of Lok Sabha members from his Congress party. This move, aimed at promoting accountability and discipline, is a step in the right direction. However, it raises an important question: Is Rahul Gandhi himself equipped to lead this exercise, considering his own inconsistent track record as a Member of Parliament?
The Congress party had announced plans to establish a mechanism to assess the performances of its MPs in August last year. However, it was only on February 13 that the first formal evaluation took place. Reports suggest that the assessment was based on three key parameters – attendance, participation in opposition protests, and the impact of their speeches during debates.
While Rahul Gandhi’s decision to evaluate his party’s MPs reflects a genuine intent, doubts linger about his own qualifications to lead such an initiative. After all, his performance as an MP has been far from exemplary. It is unclear whether he subjected himself to the same scrutiny during the evaluation process. Given his stature as the de facto leader, owing to his Nehru-Gandhi lineage, it is unlikely that anyone within the party would dare to assess his performance. However, if evaluated fairly, he would likely find himself in the bottom half of the list.
For the record, Rahul Gandhi singled out Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari and Beni Behanan, MP from Chalakudy, Kerala, as the top performers during the first half of the Budget Session.
As Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi is exempt from signing the attendance register, making it difficult to ascertain his attendance record in the current Lok Sabha, which was constituted on June 24 last year. However, his average attendance during his first four terms as an MP – spanning two decades from 2004 to 2024 – was a dismal 52 percent, significantly lower than the national average of 80 percent. In the current Lok Sabha, he has participated in only six debates, compared to the national average of 7.1. Similarly, he has asked just six questions so far, against the national average of 31. His frequent absences from Parliament and subpar performance have often drawn criticism, both from within and outside the party.
Questions were raised, albeit in hushed tones, about his suitability for the role of Leader of the Opposition’s post within the Congress party. These concerns stem largely from his habit of taking unannounced trips abroad, often at critical junctures, leaving party spokespersons scrambling to explain his whereabouts. His tendency to disappear without informing the security agencies tasked with his protection has also been a cause for concern.
When he participated in debates, he often indulged in buffoonery, including inappropriate gestures like winking and unexpected hugs toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His speeches followed a similar pattern – making serious allegations without providing substantiating evidence.
One of the most notable instances of his prolonged absence occurred in 2015, just months after his prime ministerial ambitions were dashed in the 2014 general elections. Between February and April of that year, he was out of the country for 60 days, with no information about his location. It later emerged that he had visited four Southeast Asian nations – Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. During this period, he missed the entire budget session, when, as a senior opposition leader and prime ministerial hopeful, he was expected to challenge the government on crucial economic policies.
Rahul Gandhi’s penchant for secretive foreign trips is well-documented. In October 2023, he travelled to Uzbekistan, and in December 2021, he visited Italy, his mother Sonia Gandhi’s homeland. In April 2022, he disappeared from public view for 10 days while the Congress was engaged in a do-or-die battle to retain power in Punjab.
More recently, in December last year, he took a sabbatical to ring in the New Year in Vietnam. This trip came at a time when the nation was officially mourning the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, causing significant discomfort to his party.
While his new role as Leader of the Opposition offers him an opportunity to reinvent himself, Rahul Gandhi must lead by example. His ability to objectively assess his colleagues’ performance will depend on his own commitment to parliamentary proceedings and his willingness to address his shortcomings.
At best, Rahul Gandhi’s appointment as Leader of the Opposition can be likened to a school where the most mischievous student is appointed class monitor. Often, such monitors not only mend their ways but also effectively manage their peers. However, Parliament is no classroom, and Rahul Gandhi’s conduct could make or break the Congress party. Given that he is likely to be projected as the party’s prime ministerial face once again in the 2029 elections, his performance will be under intense scrutiny.
It is worth noting that under his leadership as the Congress party’s prime ministerial nominee, the party has failed to cross the 100-seat mark in the past three parliamentary elections. If Rahul Gandhi is to revive the Congress’s fortunes, he must demonstrate a level of commitment and discipline that has been conspicuously absent in his political career thus far.
Ajay Jha is a senior journalist, author and political commentator.
