Amethi member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi's corporate style of electoral management is causing nightmares to those seeking Congress tickets for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Here is a sample of the questions they have to answer: How many jobs have been provided under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in your area? How many people in your constituency do not have LPG connections? How do you plan to provide them with gas connections? What exact development plans do you have for your constituency? Why do you think people will vote for you?
An aspirant from Rae Bareli mumbled some figures for NREGS. Rahul Gandhi looked at the laptop on the table before him, read out the correct figure, and signalled that the interview was over.
When asked about development plans, an aspirant for the Karwi Assembly seat said he would try to implement whatever was given to him. He was asked to go. An aspirant for the Baberu Assembly seat met the same fate as he did not know the number of gas connections in villages in his constituency.
According to Congress sources, most of the interviewees were stumped by the questions.
"They went there thinking they would be able to belittle their opponents to prove their own worth. But Rahul foiled the plan by calling all the contenders for interview together," said one of them. Aspirants could not fudge figures because the Amethi MP had the relevant data.
All the same, a section of Congress leaders were not impressed with the way the interviews were being conducted.
"This American corporate style may not work in India. Here things depend on so many other factors and equations; not just on your development agenda. Let's see the results," said a senior leader.
While party leaders, including All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of UP Ashok Gehlot, have publicly said Rahul Gandhi should be appointed a general secretary because it would have a huge impact on UP elections, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family apparently has his own ideas.
He has taken charge informally, directly supervising the activities of Congress leaders. Last Tuesday, he presided over a meeting attended by Ashok Gehlot and UP Congress chief Salman Khursheed.
What left the Congress leaders sweating was his veiled declaration that each of them would be held "accountable" for results in their respective areas of responsibility.