Congress: Sankalp Without Strategy

In the searing heat of Gujarat, under the shadow of two towering legacies—Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel—the Indian National Congress assembled once more.

- PRABHU CHAWLA

Over 150 senior and mid-level leaders, clad in the party's once-iconic Gandhi cap and crisp white kurta-pajamas, converged in Ahmedabad for a rare conclave of symbolism, soul-searching and strategic signaling. The city, sacred to Congress's origin story, was once again witness to a theatrical attempt to reconnect with its roots. This time, the purpose was not to present a rejuvenated ideological alternative to the ruling BJP, but to resurrect the party's slipping relevance—and most tellingly, to reaffirm the dwindling legitimacy of the Gandhi family.

The timing of this political theatre was rich with significance: the 150th birth anniversary of Patel and centenary of Gandhi's presidency. Yet, beneath the carefully chosen motifs and thematic slogans like 'Nyaypath: Sankalp, samarpan aur sangharsh' (Path of justice: Resolve, commitment, struggle), the Congress's existential questions remained unanswered. What does the party stand for in 2025? Who leads it? And can it survive without or in spite of the Gandhis?

A Legacy on Life Support Historically, the Congress was the crucible of India's nationalist aspirations and post-independence dreams. But over the past four decades, the party has steadily devolved into a feeble apparatus—a machine that now exists more to maintain the dynastic aura of the Gandhis than to serve as a credible political alternative. The role reversal could not be starker. Indira Gandhi once conferred legitimacy and votes upon the party. Today, the party is fractured, ideologically confused and organisationally hollow. It is scavenging for votes just to justify the continued political entitlement of the Gandhi family.