This year was one of the most politically significant in the Congress party’s history. There are numerous reasons for this, including the election of the first non-Gandhi president after 22 years, the launch of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, a first-of-its-kind mass connect programme, electoral victory in Himachal Pradesh, defeat in Punjab and the escalation of conflict within the state leadership of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The question of whether or not the Congress has any chance of revival remains pertinent. There is no doubt that the Congress party attempted to make a distinction this year between internal democracy and mass connection.
Nevertheless, 2023 will also be a crucial year for the Congress, as the final results of these reforms will be put to the electoral test during the following year and in the general elections of 2024. With this significant journey of 2022, the Congress and most importantly, the Gandhi family, can learn several important political lessons. Depending on the nation’s capacity for learning in the coming years, these lessons will reshape its politics either positively or negatively.
Bharat Jodo Yatra may not guarantee votes
The Congress has lost touch with the general populace over the course of several decades. From the time of UPA-II, the grand old party gradually became a political platform for elites, excluding grassroots politicians. Under the leadership of senior leader Rahul Gandhi, the Congress launched the highly acclaimed Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2022. During this Yatra, the party tended to walk from Kanyakumari to Kashmir by way of a number of significant states. During this grand march, Gandhi connected with the people, walked relentlessly, and endeavoured to convey an alternative message on behalf of the Congress in Opposition to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It is the first initiative of its kind undertaken by the Congress party in recent decades. And there is no doubt that it was a necessary effort.
The unfortunate aspect of the Congress is that everything begins and ends with the Gandhi family. Even today, this grand march is more about Rahul Gandhi than it is about the cause of rebuilding the Congress. This is why, today, the march is transforming into a platform for the left liberals. There is no problem in doing this but was this the aim of the Yatra? The Congress will have to answer this question today or tomorrow. The electoral impact of the Bharat Jodo Yatra has not yet been observed. Political observers and even the Congress leaders are uncertain as to whether the Yatra will have any effect on the party’s electoral prospects. Recently, Congressman Shashi Tharoor proclaimed the success of the Yatra, but added, “now the challenge is to put this into words, which does not follow axiomatically.”
The Congress must recognise that there is no easy way to win an election. The most crucial aspects of contemporary politics are winning elections and demonstrating a party’s viability. Therefore, the party must now devise a plan to convert the Yatra’s success into votes.
Non-Gandhi president with limited autonomy is ineffective
After 22 years, the Congress elected a non-Gandhi president. However, the entire election of Mallikarjun Kharge was questionable. The Gandhi family supported Kharge, which was evident to everyone. In contrast, Shashi Tharoor, who ran against Kharge, received no support from the state units of the Congress. This demonstrates that this election was less about democracy within the party and more about who will follow orders as the Congress president of the respective countries. Nonetheless, this election and appointment of a non-Gandhi president to lead the party was a welcome development.
Kharge has little control over the party, despite becoming the president of the Congress. Several years of infighting have occurred in Rajasthan between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and senior leader Sachin Pilot, and Kharge has taken no action to resolve the issue. Similarly, when Rahul Gandhi decided not to campaign vigorously in Gujarat due to the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress president could not go against this decision and asked him to act otherwise. This demonstrates that despite having a non-Gandhi president for the first time in 22 years, the Gandhis continue to dominate the Congress.
The lesson for the Congress is that if they do not grant Kharge autonomy, the upcoming change within the party will be ineffective. And maintaining an ineffective president without any authority can wreak havoc on the structure of the Congress party. Across the states, the grand old party is losing ground, and it will require its president to be consistent, strong, and independent this time around.
Attacking PM Modi Won’t Win Votes
Finally, the Congress and Rahul Gandhi must realise that attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not win them votes. From ‘Suit-Boot ki Sarkar’ to ‘Chowkidaar Chor Hai’ and several other charges, Gandhi’s electoral attacks against PM Modi have failed miserably. It is time for the party to understand which electoral strategies work in India after 2014 and which don’t.
The time has come for the Congress to determine whether it is fighting against the ideology of the BJP and RSS or against Prime Minister Modi. A crucial element of democracy is the expression and defence of opposing viewpoints. However, if Rahul Gandhi, after completing the Bharat Jodo Yatra, changes the battle again to Modi versus him, the grand old party will suffer the consequences.
The Congress has repeatedly mocked and disregarded historical figures to express their views on India. It should learn from the fact that the BJP won the 2014 and 2019 elections by keeping its ideology in front of the people. The Congress will not receive votes by discrediting historical figures.
Organisational Strengthening More Crucial Than Rebranding Rahul Gandhi
Several significant state elections occurred in 2022. The Congress must consider the party’s humiliating defeat in Punjab and its significant victory in Himachal Pradesh. These two election outcomes indicate that the party must immediately prioritise organisations in multiple states. In Punjab, the party leadership led by the Gandhi family destroyed the organisation. Congress’s organisation was thrown into disarray by the high command’s appointment of the Punjab chief minister and state president.
In contrast, the party won the election by defeating the BJP in Himachal Pradesh. The primary factor in Himachal was the robust grassroots organisation. Through the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the entire focus of the Democratic Party is now on rebranding Rahul Gandhi. It is time for the Congress to examine their organisation, the states, grassroots politics in the states, and the development of regional leaders in each state with a degree of autonomy.
(The author is a Columnist and Doctoral Research Scholar In Media & Politics. He tweets @sayantan_gh. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.)
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