Laloo Yadav, Prime Minister?

These are interesting times, friends. Whenever elections are round the corner, political bogies take the centrestage. Anyway aren't we sick of "Will-Rahul-Priyanka-join-politics" bogie?

Mama Sonia hasn't said anything yet. Priyanka Vadra nee Gandhi hasn't said anything yet. Rahul Gandhi hasn't said anything yet. Ekdum mummy par gaye hain. So who's talking? Youth Congress leaders. Youth find youth leaders attractive. They are nearly sure Sonia and Ambika Soni do not have the sex appeal that a Priyanka or a Rahul guarantees.

So can Rahul or Priyanka change the Congress' fortunes? On the face of it, yes. Anyone can give hope to a party, which still can't figure out how to fight Good Old Vajpayee's shining new charisma. Even if you forget the foreign origin for a moment, Sonia Gandhi still isn't anywhere near Vajpayee when it comes to leadership.

Her coalition is getting in place but who'll lead the colaition is still not decided. The Congress vows to her leadership. TV byte experts from her own party and her allies repeat that the Prime Ministerial candidate will be decided by the coalition after the elections. Some of them say any leader from the alliance can become Prime Minister, once the coalition wins a majority.

That's exactly the problem. The voter needs to know who that anyone is. He or she would feel secure about the country's future while voting for the coalition. Democracy is not a betting game. At a crucial juncture like today when India is poised to really shine, the voter would not like to take chances. And when it comes to chances, Laloo Prasad Yadav, a founding member of Sonia's coalition, could also become Prime Minister. There is a danger, right? I call it danger because we have seen where Bihar has gone during his rule.


P.S. If Rahul becomes Congress' leader and god forbid something happens to him, the Congress will have another foreign origin issue to deal with. His girlfriend is Colombian.