'' Call Me Raabert....."

This appeared last Sunday....Before the RESULTS..



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This is all terribly confusing. First, Priyanka Gandhi calls herself a frog. Then Rahul Baba does ditto-ditto. And says, if my sis is a frog, then I’m a frog , too. That makes it two frogs in the pond… err, family. Then along comes an Easy Rider on a motorbike. But he’s no frog. He’s Robert. Robert Vadra.And nobody knows what to do with the dashing guy in designer shades. Not even the two frogs. One frog is Vadra’s wife. The other, his brother-in-law. Clearly, they weren’t expecting company. But hello! ‘Call me Raabert….” is right there. And from the looks of it, he ain’t going anywhere. “ I married into a political family….” Robert offered by way of an explanation, when he took the tentative plunge into politics last month. And that was that. Whether India’s premiere political family had any inkling about Easy Rider roaring off into the sunset with his band of Biker Boys, remains unclear. But going by the subdued official response to the First Son-in-law’s virgin foray into the political badlands of Uttar Pradesh, some instant strategic thinking will be required. And no, it’s not enough for Abhishek Manu Singhvi to issue polite, discreet statements that basically say very little, besides: “ Hell , no! We don’t really know what the devil is going on. But we aren’t jumping with joy at this unexpected turn of events.” A careful decoding of Singhvi’s guarded comment (“We have nothing to add after Priyanka’s clarification,”) reveals the prevailing anxiety within the First Family, with Mama Sonia caught in a bit of a bind. It isn’t the best situation for a mum to be caught in. First, both her bachchas declare they are, in fact ,frogs. Then comes Easy Rider with his Hell’s Angels, and makes it to all the channels and papers. This was certainly not a part of the master plan.But Robert Vadra has definitely added the much needed spice to the khichdi in U.P. Let’s see who suffers from indigestion now.
The buzz in Delhi about Easy Rider’s political ambitions has been doing the rounds for a while. It’s just the fear factor that has stopped everybody from talking publicly about it. That there was trouble brewing in paradise is again a purani kahani. Political watchers were not sure whether the alleged trouble was manufactured or real. The fact that Priyanka was seen hanging around Mama Gandhi more and more, was taken as a sign that Priyanka was merely being a good daughter and helping out during a medical and political crisis. Those in the know whispered there was much more to Priyanka’s involvement in the day-to-day affairs of the party. It was never openly discussed but the ‘Robert factor’( as it was euphemistically dubbed) was causing enormous concern. Today, now that it’s all out there, the question is : how does one deal with it on a long term basis? But such is the paranoia surrounding the family, that most people pretend they know nothing, have heard nothing and there is nothing.
Robert Vadra hard to ignore. Even if one did not know of his existence but were to spot him in a restaurant, chances are one would ask, “Who’s that guy. That one… with the tight tee and those biceps?” Robert resembles a movie actor from the ‘fifties or ‘sixties. He is beefier than Salman Khan, and with that rakish moustache and swagger, anybody with any sense will quickly conclude, ‘You don’t want to mess with this guy.” From the looks of it, his decision to jump into the political arena was taken without consulting anybody – not even his wife. Perhaps the poor chap was sick of waiting on the sidelines playing second fiddle to the first and second most important women in India. It’s a pretty wimpish role for a tough guy to play. Robert may have been restless and raring to go. And now (he may have finally figured out) is as good a time as any. In fact, Robert’s timing is superb! And he isn’t shying away from spelling out his ambitions. If his brazen attitude is embarrassing the First Family, that’s too bad. It’s okay for the two frogs to keep repeating they aren’t looking for political office. Easy Rider is more upfront. Oh yes, he’d like to play a political role, declared the son-in-law unabashedly. What else should Robert have done? And how long should he have waited? This is a new, unexpected twist in the script which is now called , “Dilli’s Damaad Also Rises.”
It is a tough nut to crack. If Robert ups the dilemma further and decides to ignore / defy the diktats of the High Command, he will be forcing a confrontation.. Robert’s no quitter. And he too has well-connected friends in high places. Flexing muscles comes easily to our guy. He must have thought about the repercussions of taking on several powerful loyalists. If he decides to ride solo, that will be the biggest political coup in the current scenario. But Easy Rider must also realize that without the absolute backing of his wife’s parivaar, it’s going to be a really bumpy roadtrip for him and his Biker Boys. Khair, if all else fails,there is always Dabbang -2.