Amid a current debate over how to keep the party afloat, Congress’s rank and file are integrated in demanding the party’s revival to make it relevant in the national context, but on the choice for the top leadership, they are confused and divided. The Congress seems split between the three Gandhis — Priyanka, Rahul and Sonia — two of whom have tested both good and hard times when at the helm. A reason for the party workers’ strong belief in the first family is its legacy that somehow holds the usually fighting lot together, at least in seeing a sweet dream of the Congress recovering sooner or later. The question is: how can Congress reinvent itself and earn the support of a majority of the voters while it fights the internal and external fronts?

Holdings not intact
The Congress truly is a democratic unit as it allows members free-for-all debates and fights, criticism, suggestions and exchange of barbs. But once you cross the Laxman Rekha, you get a boot from the high command. Or, one has to leave the party amplifying the criticism of the top leadership and the leaders who were at odds with you. We should recall Madhya Pradesh, and look at Rajasthan for now. This has been going on for the past seven years, primarily because of people who saw greener pastures in other parties. But many continue to stay on despite being disappointed by the leadership. Unfortunately, it constitutes a large section of the Congress workers and sympathisers, who don’t have any say in the party’s thought process that should be based on their honest inputs. Fortunately, Congress still has a following in all sections of the society — the poorest of the poor, the lower, middle, and upper middle classes.