Sheila Dikshit, former chief minister of Delhi, recently stepped down as Congress’s chief ministerial candidate in Uttar Pradesh. The move was to keep Akhilesh Yadav as the face of the Congress-SP alliance.
And now, in what many are saying is a hint at her disenchantment with the Congress leadership, Dikshit told The Times of India that Rahul Gandhi is “still not mature”.
When asked why is Congress performing poorly despite Rahul’s aggressive campaigning, the 78-year-old said,
“Please remember Rahul is still not mature, his age does not allow him to be mature. He is what… in his forties. Please give him time.”
This is marked difference from Sheila’s statement in November when she told News 18 that Rahul at 46 had emerged as a mature leader and that his elevation in the party is coming at a time when his initiatives are resonating with people.
Her fresh comment on Rahul’s Gandhi’s maturity or the lack of it expectedly created quite a buzz. Given the speculation on Rahul’s coming of age and his finding his voice, it’s no surprise that this yet another insight into Rahul’s leadership skills has become a talking point.
And yes, a lot of people are making the same joke: That if Rahul is not mature at 46, he’ll probably never mature.
The BJP, of course:
And a lot of other users:
However, Dikshit now says her words have been twisted and thinks that Rahul, indeed, is mature.