For a healthy democracy, a healthy opposition is as important as a strong government. It helps keep the regime in power under control for one. It also prevents it from developing arrogant and autocratic deviations from the path of progress and democracy by questioning such steps, assessing their policies objectively and also giving important inputs.

India needs a strong leader, not a messiah. At present, this country is suffering from a most non-synced and unprepared opposition. Only boycotting Parliament or hitting the streets in protest is not sufficient. They need to wake up collectively, put their thoughts in order and prepare an action plan. They need to reach out to the masses: An opposition of the people, by the people, for the people.

Someone really, really needed to have shown the Congress a mirror. In fact, people have tried for ages, but to no avail. And yet, anyone suggesting replacing Rahul is seen as jealous, biased, motivated or simply mean. However, people trying to break their heads to beg the Congress to change may not be any of that. Maybe they really do care about having two strong political parties in competition. This way we can have a healthy democracy, a strong party in power and an almost equally strong opposition. The Congress’s insistence on Rahul’s presence has damaged all that.

I don’t want to be mean, but here is a recent example of Rahulism. At his presser to congratulate PM Modi on his victory, these were some of his words: “Chahe kuch bhi ho jaaye… main sirf vaapis pyaar se jawaab doonga (whatever happens, I will only respond with love)…”

This theme of ‘let there be love’ was used by Rahul throughout the past elections. While it is nice to spread love like the Beatles or Bob Marley, one needs to realise you are fighting an election here. This is a battle. Rahul isn’t working for Art of Living or the Isha Foundation.

Countless articles have given suggestions on what Congress must do to revive. They have all fallen on deaf ears. The control by one family, which places its self-interest above the party and the country, means virtually no action has been taken to make Congress stronger. The chances of Rahul’s popularity suddenly rising, or the family waking up and doing the right thing are miniscule. Also improbable is the Congress hope of BJP making self-goals that will make voters flock to Congress again. This is unlikely, as this government seems to have an ear on the ground, even if they may not care much about the intellectuals.

Besides the leadership crisis, which is the most discussed shortcoming of the party, the precipitous decline of Congress should be explained in light of three more fundamental flaws that have facilitated the silent death of the party since the Indira Gandhi era. First, the complete lack of effort to nurture the grassroots level organizational structures of the party, which can help in mass mobilization. Second, the gradual shrinking of the social base of the party by alienating ambitious but fiery mass leaders in order to retain the supremacy of the central leadership of the party. Third, the complete lack of any consistent or coherent idea on which the party can build the narrative of its political identity to attract the people.

To add insult to injury, the irrational need to maintain unquestioning dominance over the party by the Gandhis restricted the rise of ambitious yet highly-skilled regional leaders, who were either cut down to size or shown the door. From the removal of strongmen like Jyotiradityarao Scindia (recent case) Devaraj Urs in Karnataka and Sharad Pawar in Maharashtra, to the more recent examples of Hemant Biswa Sharma in Assam and Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress has systematically alienated firebrand regional stalwarts simply to quell the unjustified insecurity of its central leadership. As a crude irony of destiny, the Congress paid a heavy price for its gross political miscalculation and has been rendered politically irrelevant in many states by the very leaders the party ignored. As opposed to the growth of strong regional leaders even within national parties like the BJP — Shivraj Singh Chauhan in Madhya Pradesh and Raman Singh in Chhattisgarh — the Congress’ aversion to the growth of mass leaders has rendered the party ineffective in key states.

Above all, Congress must realize that as much as they would like to believe that the rise of BJP is merely a product of Hindu polarization and the Modi wave, the secret of its success goes much beyond that. It is the organizational discipline, accommodative attitude, and clearly articulated political narrative that helps the Hindutva-Modi combine win. If Congress wishes resurrect its glory, it has to look beyond the question of leadership for rejuvenation. In order to arrest its terminal decline, the Congress needs to revisit its foundational principles and its rich political history to connect with the electorate.

Thanks..!!

K.Trivedi & M.Sodagar.