Free Expert Advice for Rahul Gandhi

Reuters Rahul Gandhi speaking at the Congress Party’s meeting in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on Jan. 20.

He formally became the vice president of the governing Congress party this week, and is expected to throw his hat into the ring for India’s top job in the 2014 general elections, but Rahul Gandhi, the 42-year-old reticent scion of India’s Gandhi dynasty, remains something of a mystery.

He has long given the media a wide berth, choosing to quietly reorganize his party’s youth wing behind the scenes, and has never held a cabinet position. With the general election looming, voters, strategists, party insiders and opponents are clamoring to know what, exatly, it is that Mr. Gandhi stands for, or intends to do if he becomes prime minister.

India Ink spoke to image consultants, communications professionals and media commentators for their take on Mr. Gandhi’s his image, and their advice for the youth leader.

Dilip Cherian, founding partner of Perfect Relations, is an image manager and media commentator.

On Rahul Gandhi’s image now:

My reading is that Rahul Gandhi feels that given that his focus is on restructuring his party, he doesn’t need to have an outward strategy as much as an inward one. He is not worried by others’ perceptions.

Actually, he has probably done a good thing by insulating himself from his party; otherwise he would be answerable for everything the government has done so far.

Let’s also not forget that he’s playing within the Indian context; he is not running in an American presidential election. The average voting Joe! in India is only concerned with what happens on the ground. It’s only the Indian reading classes and the elite who want to know where Manmohan Singh stands on domestic issues and foreign policy, and even then, you normally hear only platitudes.

I think the Congress party’s problem is that their three top leaders â€" Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi â€" are in the same mold. So they end up relying on spokespeople to a far greater extent than they should.

His advice:

As a communications adviser, I would try to understand what your comfort zone is, and craft a strategy that suits your individual personality. What works for a Narendra Modi or a Mamata Banerjee will not work for Rahul Gandhi. I think if Rahul Gandhi had to change styles, he would have to alter too much about himself. He tends to be the kind of person who wants to hear people and not say much.

I would perhaps allow a greater opportunity for people in the party to hear him on differet issues, rather than just in these choreographed events. I would also build a strong communications office around him, which can talk about where he stands on policy issues and what he is doing. That will take the pressure off him.

Mr. Cherian has worked on several political campaigns, including those of the Congress Party.

Suhel Seth, managing partner of Counselage India, is a marketing expert.

On Rahul Gandhi’s image now:

The problem is, the Gandhi family believes they have a right to rule this country. But we now have a country that is engaged and enraged, and a politician who is indifferent.

Rahul Gandhi needs to take a stand. The youth always takes a stand. His silence comes across as arrogance. When you don’t engage with the people, you’re saying, “It is my right to govern. I will speak when I decide to speak.”

In this world, we need to know Rahul Gandhi’s MRI [magnetic resonance imaging] status. I’m sure! he means! well and his heart is in the right place, but you have to build an image of acceptability. Many leaders in this country are working hard to build a public image - and that’s the difference between being born with a silver spoon and acquiring a silver spoon.

He really needs to define what he stands for. He is an enigma pretending to be a riddle. He should only look at his great grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, who articulated his views on so many things, from women’s rights to socialism to nation building.

His advice:

He has already missed a lot of opportunities. If I were his adviser, I would have advised him to take six young Turks from his party and go down to India Gate to talk to the protestors, connect with them.

I would make him do three defining interviews with international, national and regional media. I would not go to schools and colleges and spin doctored speeches and read from a prepared text.

I would also put out a Chintan, or belief paper, whih outlines his approach on domestic and foreign policies.

Mr. Seth has not done any work for the Congress Party.

Ramachandra Guha is a historian and author.

On Rahul Gandhi’s image now:

It’s not about image; it’s about record. Why does Rahul Gandhi have an image problem Because he has no track record of achievement. His achievements are unsubstantial; he has had an undistinguished political career.

Young people judge a person by their achievements. He had nine years to prove himself. He has not played a proactive role in government, he has not participated in parliament. Politics is about taking responsibility, putting yourself through the hard grind.

Why does Arvind Kejriwal have appeal He is the same age as Rahul Gandhi, but he took one of the most competitive exams in the world and went to an Indian Institute of Technology. Then he passed the civil service exams. He ran a non-governmental organization. In a democratizing s! ociety, r! oyal blood is irrelevant. Does anyone know who Mayawati’s father is

When Sonia Gandhi entered politics 15 years ago, it was seen as an act of sacrifice. The memory of the assassination of her mother-in-law and husband was still fresh. Rahul Gandhi can’t evoke the benefit of those emotions anymore.

Whether you talk to the people or not is irrelevant. How much does Raman Singh or Nitish Kumar or A.K. Antony talk

His advice:

Rahul Gandhi will be judged by what he does. He should take up a ministry. If he cares about rural issues, let him take up the rural development ministry. Even in Parliament, why don’t we hear from him on any topic He says he is reorganizing the party, but nobody knows what that really means.

Speeches are not important. Someone else writes a speech. But Rahul Gandhi has never given an interview. Can he do a one-hour interview with Karan Thapar, who is the most rigorous interviewer on TV, on any subject

Mr. Guha has no associaion with the Congress Party.

Harjiv Singh is a co-founder of Gutenberg Communications.

On Rahul Gandhi’s image now:

I don’t think Rahul Gandhi has an image problem. He has not been media savvy, but everybody has been talking about him for the last 8 years. Everything he says makes news.

So as a communications person, I see nothing wrong with the way he’s been so far. There’s nothing wrong with not talking everyday about everything. He has spoken when there is a need to speak. When the Congress lost in Uttar Pradesh last year, he took responsibility for the loss.

His advice:

All these years, he was one of many general secretaries, so he didn’t have to engage as much. Now that he is vice president, his strategy needs to change. If now he does not start communicating, the Congress party will have to strategically think about what that means. At the end of the day, politics is about perception.

He doesn’t need a! n aggress! ive strategy like Narendra Modi, because Mr. Modi had to focus on building and repairing an image and projecting himself to a wider audience.

But I would like to see more of him, hear more from him. The speech was a good start. I liked what I heard. He spoke with candidness about a vision for transforming the country; he spoke of an inclusive India. He spoke in both English and Hindi.

He needs to engage with the urban classes. His party has always been about rural India, but with the issue of corruption and women’s rights, we have a changed urban middle class. He will lose out on a big audience if he doesn’t engage with them.

I would recommend that he and his office share and disseminate his message more widely. They should create platforms where he can communicate with the masses. He can also use social media effectively to reach a wide audience. Some leaders, like Shashi Tharoor, have done that effectively.

Gutenberg has done no work for the Congress Party, but members of Mr. Sngh’s family have.

Piyush Pandey is the executive chairman and creative director at Ogilvy and Mather, India.

On Rahul Gandhi’s image:

To date, his image has been a problem. He has been public-shy, which is not what is expected of a youth leader. But Rahul Gandhi will be tested now. This year is probably the most important year of his life; it’s now or never. If his party has to succeed, its vice president has to connect with the people.

Some leaders are able to do this with charisma that is larger than life, so they attract leadership without saying much. But Rahul Gandhi doesn’t have that. If he is reluctant to project and participate, he shouldn’t have taken this position.

People don’t care about how hard you practice. The public cares about how you played the match. So it’s not enough to build the party behind the scenes. His advantage is that at the moment he doesn’t really have a negative image, but it’s not! positive! either. It’s neutral.

His advice:

The basic principles of communication are, the public must see what you’re doing. If you have a good product, you have to talk about it.

He needs to show things and he needs to say things. First, he needs to show his work, and then he must talk about it. That’s when people will start believing.

Manmohan Singh’s formula won’t work for him. Mr. Singh is respected for his economic acumen. He became prime minister is his 70s. Rahul Gandhi is in his forties â€" he has to do something.

Ogilvy and Mather has done no work for the Congress Party or the Gandhi family.