Many party leaders have questioned Congress' losses and spoken about fixing responsibility.
Congress leaders defend Rahul Gandhi amid discussions on the Bihar Assembly election defeat and party strategy moving forward (Photo: File)
NEW DELHI: Following the crushing defeat in Bihar, voices of discontent may emerge within the Congress. However, party leaders have already begun to defend Rahul Gandhi. Senior party leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh, and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have openly defended Rahul Gandhi, linking the Bihar results to alleged vote theft. Furthermore, the Congress is preparing to target EVMs along with "vote theft" as reasons for the party's defeat.
After the crushing defeats in several states, including Uttar Pradesh in 2022, Gehlot was the first to openly defend the Gandhi family. At that time, he largely pacified the disgruntled Group of 23 leaders. A similar situation exists now. Because of Rahul Gandhi's leadership and strategy, the Congress has suffered major defeats in Bihar, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Haryana. Many party leaders have questioned these losses and spoken about fixing responsibility. It is natural for such questions to arise: the party has lost more than 90 elections, big and small, so far.
In 2013, Sonia Gandhi handed over the reins of the party to her son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi. While Rahul occupied the front seat, Priyanka managed responsibilities from behind the scenes. The losing streak that began with the 2014 general elections continues to this day. The party has lost three consecutive general elections. The situation in the states is even worse. Currently, the Congress is in power only in Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka. Of these three, the governments in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh are facing internal challenges.
The crushing defeat in Bihar has affected the morale of the entire party, including its leaders in these states. Disillusioned leaders and workers could take drastic steps at any time. Implementing the two-and-a-half-year rotational chief minister formula in Karnataka is no longer easy. In such a situation, the tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar could prove costly for the party. Similarly, in Himachal Pradesh, tensions continue between Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and the faction led by state president Pratibha Singh. Replacing Pratibha Singh will be difficult for Rahul Gandhi under the current circumstances.
The crushing defeat in Bihar has put Rahul Gandhi's strategy under question. Experts believe that Rahul should formulate a strategy after discussing Congress ideology with experienced and senior leaders of the party. Caste politics, they argue, is harming the Congress by dividing Hindu votes. The party cannot come to power without support from upper castes. Whoever is advising Rahul is giving guidance that is "suicidal for the Congress".
If Rahul adopts the working style of his grandmother and mother, Sonia Gandhi, the party may see a revival. Sonia Gandhi, like her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, took decisions after consulting everyone. Aware of the importance of experienced leaders, she discussed every issue with them before making decisions. Rahul, however, is said to take decisions after consulting NGO figures and people with little understanding of electoral politics. Experienced leaders have consistently advised him to refrain from attacking Prime Minister Modi, advice he has never followed. He continued to attack the Prime Minister.
The party, much like in Bihar, had sensed its defeat in Haryana and Maharashtra even before voting day. In Haryana, projecting former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender Hooda alienated other castes. The neglect of Dalit leader Selja proved costly. Reports had already reached Rahul Gandhi that the party was losing. Relatives pressured Ashok Tanwar to rejoin the party just three days before voting in an attempt to regain some Dalit votes, but by then it was too late. Similarly, in Maharashtra, the tussle between Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena and the Congress impacted the election outcome. The Congress failed to learn from these setbacks and repeated the same mistakes in Bihar. Rahul relied on less experienced leaders like Krishna Allavaru and Kanhaiya Kumar, allowing decisions to be shaped by their inputs. Rahul Gandhi will have to rely more on experienced faces within the party organization, assigning clear responsibilities to leaders. Otherwise, the Congress may face a situation similar to Bihar in the 2029 general elections.
