Sources say Jai Ram Ramesh has the support and blessings of Sonia Gandhi who continues to be a long-time backer of his. Every time he feels the axe is about to fall, he goes and meets her, and she continues to stand up for him.
Just last week when Rahul Gandhi held his press conference at 24 Akbar Road after the prime minister’s decision to agree to a caste census Rahul Gandhi while leaving made a sarcastic dig at Jairam: you must be terribly upset at this turn of events.
It is no secret that Jairam Ramesh was opposed to the idea of a caste census and was an unwilling passenger on the caste census train.
When Rahul Gandhi asked him to ensure that press conferences were held nationwide on this issue he did not comply with this directive.
The next day he was to hold a debriefing on the issue but he had nothing new to say and merely repeated all that Rahul Gandhi had said in his press briefing.
Later it became an on-the-record debriefing.
It is anyone’s guess what that is. And may be someone can be kind to him and explain what a debriefing is.
During the recent AICC meeting in Ahmedabad Jairam Ramesh’s was seen sitting the entire day on the stage and did not feel the need to brief a captive media on inside points or even to debrief on the session.
He is the wrong man for the wrong job and does not know how to leverage the media in favour of the congress party which is detrimental to the cause of the congress.
It is no secret that Jairam Ramesh was opposed to the idea of a caste census and was an unwilling passenger on the caste census train.
When Rahul Gandhi asked him to ensure that press conferences were held nationwide on this issue he did not comply with this directive.
The next day he was to hold a debriefing on the issue but he had nothing new to say and merely repeated all that Rahul Gandhi had said in his press briefing.
Initially when party president Mallikarjun Kharge wanted to remove him it was Rahul Gandhi who supported him.
And now when Rahul has also understood that he is a liability and does not understand either communications or communicating or the media, it is Sonia Gandhi who is keeping him in his job.
Realising that he is skating on thin ice, Jairam Ramesh decided to do some chamchagiri with Kharge and told him that with his seniority and his experience in politics there should be a book on him detailing his life and times and in fact offered to write such a book on Kharge.
Kharge being the good man he is Immediately saw through the act and merely smiled in response.
At the moment the congress needs a good media in- charge who has the inside track of what is happening at the top decision-making level in the party and is also a good spin master who can run circles around the BJP top leadership.
Another minus point with Jairam Ramesh is that he is a hands-on admirer of Amit Shah and is often overheard praising him on a number of issues.
The congress leadership must be beware of reportedly such closet supporters of BJP leaders.
Renu Mittal
Renu Mittal is a veteran Journalist of India. She has been reporting on the Congress Party affairs since 1983.
