In the searing heat of Gujarat, under the shadow of two towering legacies—Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel—the Indian National Congress assembled once more. Over 150 senior and mid-level leaders, clad in the party’s once-iconic Gandhi cap and crisp white kurta-pajamas, converged in Ahmedabad for a rare conclave of symbolism, soul-searching and strategic signalling. The city, sacred to Congress’s origin story, was once again witness to a theatrical attempt to reconnect with its roots. This time, the purpose was not to present a rejuvenated ideological alternative to the ruling BJP, but to resurrect the party’s slipping relevance—and most tellingly, to reaffirm the dwindling legitimacy of the Gandhi family.
The timing of this political theatre was rich with significance: the 150th birth anniversary of Patel and centenary of Gandhi’s presidency. Yet, beneath the carefully chosen motifs and thematic slogans like ‘Nyaypath: Sankalp, samarpan aur sangharsh’ (Path of justice: Resolve, commitment, struggle), the Congress’s existential questions remained unanswered. What does the party stand for in 2025? Who leads it? And can it survive without or in spite of the Gandhis?
A legacy on life support
Historically, the Congress was the crucible of India’s nationalist aspirations and post-independence dreams. But over the past four decades, the party has steadily devolved into a feeble apparatus—a machine that now exists more to maintain the dynastic aura of the Gandhis than to serve as a credible political alternative. The role reversal could not be starker. Indira Gandhi once conferred legitimacy and votes upon the party. Today, the party is fractured, ideologically confused and organisationally hollow. It is scavenging for votes just to justify the continued political entitlement of the Gandhi family.
Rahul Gandhi’s presence, unsurprisingly, dominated the Ahmedabad meeting. He has been the face of Congress’s political struggle since 2014; yet his leadership continues to be perceived as reluctant, erratic and lacking in clarity. The two-day summit was attended by heavyweights like Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and state-level leaders, but even their collective gravitas failed to mask the party’s desperation. Instead of emerging battle-ready, the Congress came out of the huddle speaking in platitudes and issuing long-winded resolutions—more proof of introspection than intent.
Despite holding power in a few states, the Congress remains ideologically adrift. In the absence of a coherent ideological compass, it continues to oscillate between echoing the BJP’s cultural idioms and pushing a vaguely left-of-centre populist agenda. The party that once stood tall on secularism, social justice and inclusive development is now bogged down by a confused messaging strategy—torn between adopting a ‘soft Hindutva’ narrative and returning to its Nehruvian roots.
Ahmedabad was the first venue in Gujarat to host a major Congress Working Committee session in 64 years. The symbolism was clear: an attempt to reclaim lost ground in the home state of both Modi and Patel. Discussions centred on empowering district units, curbing religious polarisation and invoking Patel’s legacy of unity—an ironic touch, given how fragmented the party has become. Internally, it suffers from acute factionalism, a disempowered grassroots base and a leadership style that remains top-heavy.
While the conclave pledged to devolve power to district presidents, insiders remain sceptical. Decisions, especially appointments, still hinge on proximity to the central high command—more specifically, the Rahul coterie. Muscle, money and familial loyalty continue to outweigh competence and public connect. The party’s democratic rituals are too often stage-managed, more tokenistic than transformative.
The Congress’s malaise is not merely structural; it’s psychological. The three Gandhis in parliament today—Sonia in the Rajya Sabha, and Rahul and Priyanka as campaigners—represent a dynasty clinging to relevance rather than redefining the party’s future. Ironically, their electoral survival is now owed more to the party machinery in states like Kerala and allies like the Samajwadi Party than to any personal mass appeal. Once, the Gandhis were vote magnets; now they’re political liabilities for whom the party must compensate.
Leadership paralysis
Rahul Gandhi’s leadership is a paradox. He is passionate about certain issues—his critique of the BJP’s majoritarianism, the RSS’s cultural project and the economic inequalities under Modi is sharp and consistent. His Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra brought energy and moral urgency to the Congress narrative. Yet, when it comes to operational leadership which includes building coalitions, resolving factional disputes or sustaining organisational momentum, his record remains patchy. Rahul’s reluctance to lead the entire non-BJP opposition from the front has also harmed the rise of any alternative to Modi and his agenda.
The Congress’s leadership in the INDIA bloc has been tepid. While parties like DMK and RJD view Rahul favourably, regional titans like Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and Akhilesh Yadav resist ceding space. Rahul’s elevation as the leader of the opposition in 2024 offered a rare institutional role, but it hasn’t translated into bloc-wide cohesion. Disputes over seat-sharing and regional dominance reveal the deep mistrust between the Congress and its partners.
The ideological gamble
Ideologically, Rahul is attempting a pivot—moving away from economic centrism to a redistributive agenda focusing on social justice, youth unemployment and welfare populism. His insistence on a nationwide caste census and a promise to lift the 50 percent cap on reservations are efforts to consolidate OBC, SC and ST voters—a demographic long neglected by the Congress.
This strategy has had mixed results. In Karnataka and Telangana (2023), it delivered decisive victories, buoyed by welfare schemes. But elsewhere, the Congress has failed to convince voters it is serious about execution. During 2014-24, while it won merely in nine states, it lost to its rival in 25 assembly elections. The party’s credibility deficit—not just its policy offerings—remains the key hurdle. Despite its ideological shift, the Congress is yet to convincingly frame a unifying narrative that can compete with the BJP’s potent blend of nationalism, Hindutva and development rhetoric. The BJP sells aspiration; the Congress appears to offer reparation. Unless it can reconcile the two—projecting both hope and justice—it will struggle to break Modi’s hold on the electorate.
Congress’s recent gains—99 Lok Sabha seats in 2024 against 52 in 2019—suggest that all is not lost. With a 21.2 percent national vote share, it remains a pan-Indian force, even if diminished. Its footprint, unlike most regional parties, stretches across the Hindi heartland, the Northeast, the South, and parts of Central India. But footprints alone do not win elections. Charisma, clarity and consistency do. To revive meaningfully, the Congress needs a new leadership model that decentralises power, allows regional leaders to flourish and acknowledges that the Gandhis can no longer be the gravitational centre of Indian opposition politics. Rahul must either evolve into an all-in, full-time leader, or gracefully take a back seat and allow new talent to rise and lead. It needs another Indira Gandhi to persuade the masses to follow the party.
The 2029 Lok Sabha elections are both an opportunity and an ultimatum. Fail again, consecutively for the fourth time, and the party risks permanent relegation to a supporting role in Indian politics, overshadowed by aggressive regional players. Succeed even marginally, then the party could restore its place as the fulcrum of national opposition. The Congress stands at a strange crossroads. Once, Indira’s towering presence carried the party to sweeping victories. Now, a diminished party strains to carry the political burden of the Gandhis. This reversal of roles is both tragic and telling. The family that once bestowed legitimacy upon the party now survives on the legitimacy the party scrapes together. The dynasty is no longer the engine; it’s the baggage.
If the Congress is serious about its survival, it must undergo more than a symbolic transformation. It must decentralise leadership, articulate a bold ideological agenda and build a credible national coalition. It must stop chasing nostalgia and start crafting a compelling and competitive vision for India’s future. Only then can it hope to form a government that works—not just for the Gandhis, but for India that is Bharat.
Prabhu Chawla
prabhuchawla@newindianexpress.com
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