Kharge won the Congress presidential election convincingly, but party revival would be tough
The victory of senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge in the party presidential election was never in doubt. He got 7,897 votes, as compared to around 1,000 that his challenger Shashi Tharoor got. Called the “unofficially official” candidate, Kharge enjoyed the blessings of the Gandhi family. Despite Tharoor earlier not being very happy with the election process, the poll seems to have been a fair one; at least, is not complaining. It is for the first time in this century that a non-Gandhi will head the grand old party. This, however, doesn’t make the GOP dynasty-mukt, for Kharge will be functioning in consultation with, if not taking directions from, the Gandhi family. Still this will deprive the Bharatiya Janata Party the opportunity to criticise the Congress as a family enterprise. But that alone would not help the GOP win the ground it has lost in recent years. The party, especially the newly elected president, will have to work hard to establish itself as a viable alternative to the BJP; just by slamming the ruling party for its acts of omission and commission is not enough; the Congress will have to offer much more in terms of policies, programmes, and promises. Equally importantly, the electorate should find its offerings convincing. For this, a lot of work needs to be done at the ground level. The Bharat Jodo Yatra is a good beginning, but a great deal more ought to be done to capitalise on its gains.
Elections in many states are forthcoming, the states in which the Congress has a good presence. Kharge has to ensure that the demoralised rank and file gets motivated enough to work enthusiastically for the party. Owing to the drift the party has suffered from in the recent past, he must also strengthen its organisational structure. Then there is also the issue of the G-23 rebellion. They are all senior leaders; bringing all of them back to the party's mainstream would test Kharge’s interpersonal relationship skills. By now, G-23 leaders must also have realised the importance of Gandhi family in the Congress. Whatever the family may be—good, bad or ugly—party leaders and workers still have faith in it. This is evident from the overwhelming support they gave to the family’s candidate. Therefore, both the party leadership and the rebels have to opt for the forget-and-forgive policy. But this is easier said than done. Whimsical decision making by family members, especially Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra, have played a major role in the decline of the party; and there is nothing on the horizon to suggest that there could be a course correction. The induction of a few young Leftists has made the Congress even more confused. In the run-up to the 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised achhe din, and people believed in it. The Congress is not offering any such thing. Kharge must realise that party revival would be difficult on a negative agenda.