vicky sen
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NEW DELHI: Congress circles are thick with speculation about a re-think on Rahul Gandhi's plan for an aggressive media outreach.
The Congress vice-president had decided to hold a series of media interactions as part of reaching out to the public, a radical change in his decade-long career as politician during which he has kept away from journalists.
He started off with Times Now. Although the channel was preferred for the debut splash because of its higher viewership, the choice caused considerable heartburn among rivals who missed out. However, they were assuaged by the promise that their turn would follow shortly, as the Congress vice-president had embarked on a sustained PR blitz.
Sources said 12 media outlets, five of them TV channels including Times Now and the rest from the print media, had been shortlisted.
However, the second interaction has not happened although it is more than a fortnight since the interview with Times Now happened and despite the looming elections. The delay has led party circles to wonder whether it was because of the widespread perception that the first interview did not go off well.
The grilling session resulted in comments and responses that led to widespread criticism. Rahul's comments about 1984 riots kicked off a storm with a renewed public debate on the massacre that took place in the wake of the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Congress rivals like Akali Dal latched onto Rahul's remarks to launch dharnas and agitations to push the Congress on the back foot.
His first interview did see Rahul put forth his views about how he planned to change the Congress and the style he would bring to governance, but they got overtaken by the brouhaha over Gujarat riots and Delhi carnage.
What followed was an avalanche of criticism on how he inadequately tackled the questions from the interviewer and also his lack of quick thinking on various issues which could have swung the media interaction the Congress way.
In short, it did not turn out to be the PR exercise that Team Rahul had hoped to pull off.
However, a section in Congress saw a silver lining in the dismal show, noting that Rahul sat through the tough grilling and did not walk out like Narendra Modi had done with a television channel some years ago.
Sources said the media outreach is likely to continue and there is no going back. There is considerable interest in the media over the reticent Rahul opening up. Being the leader of Congress campaign who is to take on rival BJP mascot Modi, there is an interest in knowing Rahul's ideas on various issues related to campaign and governance as well as about the political opposition. But suspense hangs over the interviews that Rahul has to give.
Rahul Gandhi goes slow on media interactions - The Times of India
The Congress vice-president had decided to hold a series of media interactions as part of reaching out to the public, a radical change in his decade-long career as politician during which he has kept away from journalists.
He started off with Times Now. Although the channel was preferred for the debut splash because of its higher viewership, the choice caused considerable heartburn among rivals who missed out. However, they were assuaged by the promise that their turn would follow shortly, as the Congress vice-president had embarked on a sustained PR blitz.
Sources said 12 media outlets, five of them TV channels including Times Now and the rest from the print media, had been shortlisted.
However, the second interaction has not happened although it is more than a fortnight since the interview with Times Now happened and despite the looming elections. The delay has led party circles to wonder whether it was because of the widespread perception that the first interview did not go off well.
The grilling session resulted in comments and responses that led to widespread criticism. Rahul's comments about 1984 riots kicked off a storm with a renewed public debate on the massacre that took place in the wake of the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Congress rivals like Akali Dal latched onto Rahul's remarks to launch dharnas and agitations to push the Congress on the back foot.
His first interview did see Rahul put forth his views about how he planned to change the Congress and the style he would bring to governance, but they got overtaken by the brouhaha over Gujarat riots and Delhi carnage.
What followed was an avalanche of criticism on how he inadequately tackled the questions from the interviewer and also his lack of quick thinking on various issues which could have swung the media interaction the Congress way.
In short, it did not turn out to be the PR exercise that Team Rahul had hoped to pull off.
However, a section in Congress saw a silver lining in the dismal show, noting that Rahul sat through the tough grilling and did not walk out like Narendra Modi had done with a television channel some years ago.
Sources said the media outreach is likely to continue and there is no going back. There is considerable interest in the media over the reticent Rahul opening up. Being the leader of Congress campaign who is to take on rival BJP mascot Modi, there is an interest in knowing Rahul's ideas on various issues related to campaign and governance as well as about the political opposition. But suspense hangs over the interviews that Rahul has to give.
Rahul Gandhi goes slow on media interactions - The Times of India
I don't think he's gonna be allowed to ever open his mouth again on TV by the Congress. 
