Congress In Need of Stalwart Like Indira Gandhi
In the scorching heat of Gujarat, the Indian National Congress once again gathered in the home state of two stalwarts Congressmen, Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Dressed in Gandhi caps and white kurta-pyjamas, around 150 senior and middle-class party workers sat at the conclave in Ahmedabad, which was symbolic as well as an occasion for introspection and strategic initiatives. The city, which was associated with the existence of the Congress, then witnessed the party's attempt to find its roots. The occasion was not to come up with a strategy to become an alternative to the ruling BJP, but to bring back the party's fading relevance and strengthen the Gandhi family's fading legacy. The timing of the event was also important
It is the 150th birth anniversary of Patel and 100th year of Mahatma Gandhi becoming Congress president. However, despite slogans like 'Nyayapath: Resolve, Dedication and Struggle', questions related to the existence of the Congress remained unanswered. What is the issue of Congress in 2025? Who is leading the party? And will the party continue to exist with or without the Gandhi family? For nearly four decades, the Congress, instead of becoming a credible political alternative, has been a platform to maintain the dynastic aura of the Gandhi family. Indira Gandhi was once synonymous with the Congress. Today the party has disintegrated, its ideological confusion and the organization is hollow. Rahul Gandhi was effective in the Ahmedabad meeting. Since 2014, he has been the face of the Congress's political struggle. But even under his guidance, the Congress is portrayed as a reluctant, irregular and vague political party.
The convention was attended by Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and state-level leaders, but their collective seriousness also failed to hide the frustration of the party, instead of showing enthusiasm, the Congress leaders were seen talking clichés and passing tall resolutions. Ahmedabad, Gujarat, was chosen by the Congress for an important political event after 64 years. The Congress's symbolism of regaining its lost political ground in the home state of Modi and Sardar Patel was evident. The debate on Patel's legacy of strengthening district units, checking religious polarisation and maintaining unity spoke about how the party is fragmented, with deep factionalism internally, lack of leadership at the grassroots level and centralised leadership. The conference talked about decentralization of power among district heads, but it is doubtful that this will be implemented. The appointments are still expected to be made by those close to Rahul Gandhi. Muscle power, money and loyalty to family are still preferred over ability and mass base.
The party's democratic values are more for show. The Congress's problem is not just structural, it is also psychological. Today, there are three Gandhis in Parliament — Sonia Gandhi in the Rajya Sabha and Rahul and Priyanka in the Lok Sabha. Their electoral survival depends more on the party machinery in states like Kerala and allies like the SP rather than their individual support base. The Gandhi family, which once attracted voters to its side, now seems more like a political responsibility. Rahul Gandhi's leadership is contradictory. He has been assertively vocal about the BJP's majoritarianism, the Sangh's cultural scheme and the growing economic inequality under Modi as prime minister. His Bharat Jodo and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatras have given new energy to the Congress, but his record in terms of practical leadership – i.e. building alliances, ending factionalism and disputes and maintaining the spirit of the organization is strange. His unwillingness to lead a complete non-BJP opposition has also damaged the prospect of an alternative to Modi and his ideas.
Even in the 'India' coalition, the Congress leadership is not strong. Parties like DMK and RJD like Rahul are fond of Rahul, but satraps like Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Akhilesh do not give much preference to the Congress. Last year, Rahul Gandhi's status as Leader of the Opposition was a big opportunity, but issues like seat sharing disputes and regional dominance only exposed the mistrust between the Congress and its allies. Ideologically, Rahul Gandhi is emphasising on social justice, unemployment and welfare populism. His insistence on a caste census and promising to raise the reservation limit beyond 50 per cent to attract OBCs, SCs and STs are issues that the Congress has always ignored. Rahul's strategy has yielded mixed results. The party won in Karnataka and Telangana, but could not succeed in other states. Between 2014 and 2024, it won only nine states, while it lost power in 25 states during this period.
The Congress got 99 seats in 2024 compared to 52 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, which shows that all is not lost for the party. It remains an all-India political party with a national vote share of 21.2 per cent. Unlike most regional parties, it has a presence in the Hindi heartland, parts of the Northeast, South India and Central India. But elections are not won by a pan-India presence. It requires charisma, clarity and consistency. To revive the Congress, a new leadership model is needed, where there is space for regional leaders to flourish and where there is an acceptance that the Gandhi family is not the pivot of India's opposition politics. Rahul Gandhi should either play the role of a full-time leader or hand over the responsibility to new talent. The Congress needs another Indira Gandhi.
The 2029 Lok Sabha elections will be both an opportunity and a warning for the Congress. Failing that, it will have to be permanently reduced to a supporting role in Indian politics. If the Congress is serious about survival, it must do more than symbolic change, decentralise leadership, craft bold ideological agendas and build credible national coalitions.