After losing one election after another, Congress party workers are feeling very discouraged. The Congress party, founded on December 28, 1885, once played a major role in India’s freedom struggle. After independence, it dominated Indian politics for many decades. People who remember the party’s proud history now wonder what has happened to the party of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Dadabhai Naoroji, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, A.O. Hume, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Indira Gandhi. Why is the Congress shrinking across the country? A democracy is strong only when the opposition is strong too, but right now, the opposition seems very weak.
History shows that many leaders have opposed the Congress at different times and tried hard to remove it from power. Ram Manohar Lohia, for example, strongly disagreed with Nehru’s policies. Jayaprakash Narayan launched a “Total Revolution” movement in 1974 to remove Indira Gandhi from power. After the Emergency, a massive public movement led to a clear defeat of the Congress in 1977 by the Janata Party. But within 19 months, the Congress made a comeback under Indira Gandhi’s leadership. Later, Vishwanath Pratap Singh removed Rajiv Gandhi from power because of the Bofors scandal. After Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, the Congress again regained strength and returned to power.
After Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expanded continuously, and one state after another slipped from the Congress party’s grasp. There is no doubt that Rahul Gandhi worked tirelessly to revitalize the Congress party. He raised issue after issue, but his political journey has been full of ups and downs. In 2017, he assumed the party presidency, which was the pinnacle of his political ambition. He undertook the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2022-23 and the Bharat Nyay Yatra in 2024, during which he highlighted issues of national unity and social justice. Rahul Gandhi’s 4000-kilometer Bharat Jodo Yatra was a people-centric initiative, and its impact was visible in the party’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
His weak image and allegations of dynastic politics have affected his popularity. He is constantly trying to revive the Congress party. However, critics consider him an indecisive, uncertain, and weak leader. Due to continuous electoral defeats, dissenting voices are also heard within the party. It is ironic that he has failed to establish a credible connection with the people of the country. Political experts repeatedly say that the Congress party needs to introspect. As far as Priyanka Gandhi is concerned, those who heard her address during the discussion in the Lok Sabha on the 150th anniversary of the creation of Vande Mataram acknowledge that she is more comfortable and articulate in her speeches. She has excellent command of Hindi.
She countered every attack with her sharp wit and logic. Like her grandmother Indira Gandhi, she connects with people instantly and is adept at conveying her message easily and with a smile. Priyanka’s personality impresses people. Although critics may not consider Priyanka’s political journey so far successful, she appears more capable of breathing new life into the party. She has emerged as a formidable leader of the Congress party. In 2019, despite her initial reluctance, Priyanka Gandhi officially entered politics. She actively participated in campaigning for her mother and brother in both the general and state assembly elections. This involvement made her a well-known figure with significant support in these constituencies. This led to the powerful slogan, “Amethi’s pride, Priyanka,” being chanted during the elections.
Meanwhile, in October 2021, the UP Police arrested her twice. The first time was after her trip to Siddharth Khedi in Western Uttar Pradesh, where eight people were killed after a rally. She and several other party leaders were held hostage in a guesthouse, where they were kept for over 50 hours, effectively turning it into a temporary jail. Even when stopped by the police on her way to Agra, Priyanka still held a public meeting. There is another unique chapter in Priyanka Gandhi’s life: her sympathetic attitude towards Nalini Murugan, one of Rajiv Gandhi’s assassins. Priyanka met her in Vellore Jail. Nalini, who was facing the death penalty, had a young daughter. At Priyanka’s suggestion, Sonia Gandhi wrote to President K.R. Narayanan, stating, “Neither I nor my children, Rahul and Priyanka, want another life to be extinguished. She has a young daughter. My children also lost their father. No child should be orphaned because of us… Therefore, we appeal that she be spared from the gallows.”
Following this, Nalini’s fate changed, and she was saved from execution and released from jail after 31 years. Priyanka Gandhi displayed extraordinary humanity in Nalini’s release. In the book ‘The Red Sari’ about Sonia Gandhi, author Javier Moro wrote about Priyanka Gandhi, saying that she resembles Indira Gandhi – the same demeanor and the same sparkling eyes. Electoral victories and defeats are part of politics; what matters is the resilience of the politicians. After winning the election from Wayanad, Priyanka is playing an excellent role as a Member of Parliament. Many questions were raised about Priyanka’s entry into active politics. The questioning continues in politics, but Priyanka is capable of answering all of them. The party itself has to decide what her role should be in the Congress. The Congress needs an overhaul. Effective leadership is the only thing that can overcome the organization’s weaknesses and revitalize it.
