As expected, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge again failed to prove his worth as the chief of the grand old party. Kharge couldn’t show that he was in charge of the party during the plenary session, but his responsibilities grew a lot. The unwritten message is very clear: Kharge will neither have the authority to run the party as per his wish, nor any autonomy, but will always have to obey the wishes of the Gandhi family. The only difference is that earlier, as the president of the party was from the family, at the end of the day, the blame used to come to the Gandhis, but now they will not have to take any direct responsibility.
More responsibility
First of all, at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, it was decided that no election for the committee would take place. This means that the status quo will be maintained. On one hand, this demonstrates that Kharge lacked the courage to assert his own authority in a minor party reform. On the other hand, the strength of the CWC increased from 25 to 35.
Apart from the Gandhi family members and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will have to nominate around 30 members. It was a well-scripted plan to show the public that Kharge has massive power over the party, but at the end of the day, the real power will be in the hands of the Gandhi family. Many people inside the Congress believe that Rahul Gandhi always wanted to change the status quo but took little initiative to do so. It would be interesting to see whether he stays in the CWC or not.
The reality is that Kharge will have to accommodate people close to all three Gandhis, which means Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka. After all these, he will have some seats for his own people and then one or two from other lobbies inside the Congress. At the end of the day, the CWC will again become a coterie of Gandhi family members.
Failed opportunity to change status quo
After 24 years, when the Congress elected Mallikarjun Kharge, a non-Gandhi, as its new president last year, the party workers and the general public had high expectations. They expected that things would change and that Kharge would make critical decisions for the party’s future. From the Gujarat election to how he handled the Rajasthan crisis, Kharge had many chances to show the Gandhis that he was in charge. Yet, he remained largely silent on the major concerns. The plenary session was a one-of-a-kind chance for Kharge to show how powerful he really is.
The last two Congress presidents who were not Gandhis — PV Narasimha Rao and Sitaram Kesri — opted to hold CWC elections. This session was a good moment for the Congress to have a leader who understands the priorities of accountable political discourse but is not afraid of taking decisions. Since more than two decades ago, the CWC has been home to a collection of individuals who have lost touch with grassroots politics. By acting as Gandhi’s sycophant, this group ruined the Congress party. When these individuals were in charge, the party lost many state elections and performed poorly in national elections. Unfortunately, this status quo will continue.
Nothing goes beyond Gandhis in Congress
At the session, there was a lot of disagreement in the party about whether or not elections would be held during this meeting, but there was no disagreement about securing permanent positions for the Gandhis at the CWC. Without a doubt, the Bharat Jodo Yatra was a fantastic event that enhanced employee morale. Sonia Gandhi’s passion and work are likewise above reproach. In contrast, making Gandhi members permanent will simply serve to sustain the status quo.
However, the Congress’ decision to have a 50 percent quota for youth, SC, ST, OBCs, and minorities at the CWC is a welcome amendment that was not previously present. Looking at the ground reality in Congress, these little changes will not make much of a difference. The Congress party needs to change, and that can only happen if strong steps are taken. Some decisive actions are disliked by most people, but if the intentions are good, these actions help the cause in the long run. The current situation will not allow Kharge to function autonomously because he will have to make room for people close to the Gandhis individually. The CWC election would have allowed the party to understand the real support of the people who have been holding the position at the highest decision-making body of the Congress.
Strategic Bankruptcy of Congress
Despite the highly publicised Bharat Jodo Yatra during the parliamentary session, the Congress did not alter its political strategy. Rahul Gandhi and others kept making personal attacks on Narendra Modi, which was the same strategy that had failed before. While it is an example of the strategic bankruptcy of Congress, there are several examples of the grand old party’s dishonesty. In September last year, for instance, Rahul Gandhi stated that the Congress party would implement “one person, one post.” But Kharge is the president of the party and also the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Under the control of the Gandhis, the Congress will never undergo reform. It is crucial that Mallikarjun Kharge maintains the independence and integrity of the grand old party. The plenary session was his greatest opportunity to challenge the status quo. India’s and the world’s politics are evolving swiftly. Considering the Gandhis and their ilk, the Congress cannot retain the status quo and survive. It is unfortunate that despite having a new president, the party is stuck to the family worship of Gandhi in every possible way.
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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