Opinion Rahul Gandhi’s back in Parliament – but is he a good MP?

Rahul Gandhi and his posse paid homage to the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Parliament House. What did one Gandhi tell the other Gandhi? No one will ever know.

Since he has received such a royal reception, it is natural to ask: what doe he brings to the table in Parliament? I have gone through the record of his performance. Rahul Gandhi was elected to the Parliament in 2004, and has been an MP ever since. Though he was summarily rejected in Amethi, the people of Kerala gave him a safe haven in Wayanad. He has so far spent 19 years in the Parliament.

Now for his record in the House:

Data regarding his attendance and other details are available on the PRS Legislative Research database. But no data is available regarding his attendance and other activities during his first tenure from 2004-2009 on the PRS database.

From 2009-2014, Rahul Gandhi had 43 per cent attendance, while the national average was 76 and the state average (from his state) was 79 per cent. During this period, he participated in two debates. The national average was 37.9 and the state average was 43.9. He asked no questions during these five years. The average number of questions asked by an MP in Parliament was 300 and the average from his state was 254. He introduced no Private Member’s Bill. The national average for Private Member’s Bills was 0.8 and the state average was 0.4. The only debate he participated in was on the Lok Pal Bill on December 18, 2013. He had a special mention against his name on August 26, 2011, also on the Lok Paal Bill.

In the 16th Lok Sabha, from 2014-2019, Rahul Gandhi’s attendance was 52 per cent in Parliament, while the national average was 80 per cent and the average from his state was 86 per cent. He took part in 14 debates, while the national average was 67.7 and the state average was 109.6. He did not ask any questions. The national average for questions was 293 and the state average was 198. He did not introduce any Private Member’s Bill. The national average was 2.3 and the state average was 1.8. He made only four zero-hour submissions and one special mention in this period.

In the 17th Lok Sabha, from 2019 till now, Rahul Gandhi’s attendance has been 52 per cent, while the national average is 79 per cent and the average from his state is 83 per cent. He took part in six debates while the national average was 41.3 and the state average was 68.7. He asked 94 questions. The national average for questions asked was 170 and the state average was 225. He did not introduce any private member’s bill. The national average was 1.2 and the state average was 3.7. He had one zero-hour submission on July 17, 2019. His attendance was zero per cent in the monsoon session in 2020 and during the winter session in 2022. He spoke during the motion of thanks to the President in 2022 and 2023. He took part in the Budget discussion in 2021. He raised one submission. He also had one special mention.

From the above data, it is evident that Rahul Gandhi contributed very little to Parliament discussions. The number of times he participated in a debate is tragically low. Zero-hour submissions and special mentions are great opportunities for Parliamentarians to raise issues regarding vital matters pertaining to the nation and their constituencies. Rahul Gandhi hardly used these opportunities during the last 19 years. There is no record anywhere indicating that he ever asked a supplementary question. Anybody who persists would get an opportunity to raise a supplementary question every day in Parliament. One time, during question hour, the Rajya Sabha Chairman said to me: “Alphons, your hand is raised forever. Can you put it down for a few minutes?” I replied: “Respected Chairman, I will put down my hand the moment you give me a supplementary question”. He gave me a supplementary promptly. If one desires, there are several opportunities to speak and raise issues. Most members grab these opportunities.

As a minister, I had the opportunity to be in the Lok Sabha and listen to some great debates. Nobody ever heard Rahul Gandhi make a substantive speech in Parliament, except the time he said something incongruous and then ran up to PM Modi to give him a bear hug. He has never participated in a serious and scholarly debate on any issue, least of all on the economy, education or healthcare, which are critical issues for the nation.

The most meaningful work in Parliament happens in parliamentary committees. Most business is conducted in a bipartisan manner, without political animosity. This is where a member contributes meaningfully, after putting in hard work. How many Parliament committee meetings did Rahul Gandhi attend? I don’t think there were many; because when he does attend, it is big news for the media.

What is my locus standi for writing on Rahul Gandhi?

I was a fresher in Parliament. I was only there for 4.5 years. I come from a non-electrified village, I’m a son of a school teacher no one has ever heard of, and I earned every bit of where I have reached. I recognised the privilege bestowed on me and tried my best to contribute to meaningful discussions. I had full attendance in Parliament and committees, except when I was contesting elections. Excluding the above period, I have 94 per cent attendance in Parliament. I missed one Committee meeting when I was down with covid. I participated in 64 debates (national average was 41.3) and asked 263 questions (national average was 170). I have plenty of zero-hour submissions and special mentions against my name. I had the privilege to make substantive and factually-accurate speeches on the economy, education and healthcare after burning the midnight oil, and researching extensively. I have seen so many parliamentary colleagues of mine do the same. I greatly admire Jairam Ramesh, the Chief Whip of the Congress party. He is in the House every day, 10 minutes before the session begins and he leaves only after everybody else has left.

Reacting to Rahul’s return to Parliament, his sister Priyanka Gandhi said: “Now the real issues of the people will be heard once again in the Parliament”. In 19 years, the nation never heard him say anything of consequence. Let us hope that his tryst with the real Gandhi on his return to Parliament has given him the resolve to not squander his privilege in Parliament. Anybody who does not attend the Parliament and its Committees, and does not take part meaningfully in the proceedings, is fooling around with the constitutional mandate.

The writer is a former Union Minister from the 1979 batch of the IAS