Baraat Jodo Yatra: Baat Maaniye, Shaadi Kariye
Rahul Gandhi to marry. Given that Sonia Gandhi keeps getting upset over her son's refusal to get married, was it just an affectionate elder politician offering advice to a younger leader, that too on a public platform? Or, did Yadav really eye a stronger opposition unity through an envisioned 'Baraat Jodo Yatra' when he said that all opposition leaders would come as 'baraati's for Gandhi's wedding? Or did his advice go much beyond that? A significant number of successful politicians in India are/were indeed conspicuously single/unmarried.
There's no denying that a top political career in India is extremely demanding, especially the early grind in terms of time and devotion, even though everyone's circumstances are unique. The 'First Spouse' certainly plays a very important role in a country like the US.
From Martha Washington to Melania Trump, the roles of almost all of America's first ladies may be better described as 'supportive spouses/model wives' — the male equivalent remains untested. Eleanor Roosevelt is certainly an exception, whose unprecedented active political role in FDR's presidency, becoming his surrogate in many ways, maybe better explained by the physical constraints Roosevelt faced from the after-effects of polio.
And Jill Biden broke the mould when she continued to teach at Northern Virginia Community College while serving as first lady. India, meanwhile, is more or less accustomed to having single PMs.
In India, an unmarried leader is sometimes portrayed as being committed to public life and carrying little baggage. Given that electorates frequently support the idea, politicians often don't hesitate to flaunt their singlehood by declaring that nothing else can stand between them and their service to
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