Rahul Gandhi's White T-shirt

How Rahul Gandhi went from being called a 'pappu' to being taken seriously as a politician.

For the longest time, Rahul Gandhi had a public image constructed for him by the BJP and the media of that of a ‘pappu’, a word that basically implied that he was a wimp, and nothing more than a clown. That image was so strong that it had even become part of the popular culture. There were times when it seriously felt like he would end up dying with that image, that there was no way he’d be able to shed off the tag of pappu from himself.

But around 2 years ago, things started to change. He started his Bharat Jodo Yatra which despite not being covered by the mainstream media, managed to gain enough momentum that it was able to gather massive crowds of people joining him from various states, from all over India.

Before that, like ever other male politician in India, he used to wear a white kurta-pajama, an ensemble that didn’t do much for him and didn’t make him stand out in any way. At the time, his overall vibe was that of a privileged politician who probably never did a day’s worth of hard work in his life, which stood in stark contrast to Modi who had the image of a former tea-seller, which didn’t look good. But once the Congress was ousted from power in 2014 and BJP took the governing seat, that is when the days of actual political struggle began for Gandhi. And that struggle certainly showed. He grew a beard, his appearance became less clean-cut and sanitized, and he started showing up on the ground more, among the common folk.

But the biggest change in his appearance was opting for a fitted white t-shirt and pants. This choice showed off his physique, highlighted his health and active lifestyle which contrasted with Modi’s old age, even though, Modi has also highlighted his health in his own way by doing yoga for the cameras, but sadly for him, those video clips turned into meme fodder for the internet. On the other hand, videos and images of Rahul Gandhi walking for the Bharat Jodo Yatra are being shared on Instagram and Twitter for his sex appeal, with many calling him a DILF (people google that for yourself).

While Rahul Gandhi’s social media team played a big role in his image rehabilitation, the BJP also had a big hand in this image change. In more than 10 years of being in power, the BJP never really stopped chanting Congress’ and Rahul Gandhi’s name, blaming them for every single issue in the country no matter how big or small. So, even when the Congress was on the verge of irrelevancy, where the mainstream media would only show them either badly or not at all, the BJP leaders managed to keep them relevant.

With each passing year of BJP in power, Rahul Gandhi continued speaking out against the government and while his voice wouldn’t be broadcasted by the tv news channels, the BJP’s obsession with Gandhi and his family made sure that he found his way to the tv news one way or another. In is indeed quite ironic how the party that once successfully branded a famous politician as ‘pappu’ accidently played a hand in reversing that image.

Anyway, today, Gandhi stands among us - biceps and all - as a politician who despite his privilege, has fought his way to the position of Leader of Opposition. So, for the LS Speaker Election, he gave his white t-shirt a break and opted for a white kurta that to many on the internet reminded them of his father, Rajiv Gandhi. That, in fact, was a very clever move, intentional or not.

The following day, he was back in his white t-shirt, ready to mock the Prime Minister for his absurd statements throughout the election season, and call out the Speaker of the House, Om Birla for his alleged partisan actions. Gandhi was in an attack mood, he looked fierce, fearless and presented a strong opposition and the public reception was positive. He had finally reached a point where his words held weight and he was being taken seriously.