With the Grounding of Pilot Where Does Congress Heading To!

• I had put forth my humble views about the faltering methodology increasingly adopted by the Grand Old Party of India while handling leadership issues cropping up a courtesy tussle with the well-entrenched old guards. Argued that steady erosion of young, dynamic, and energetic second-line leadership supply line is extremely crucial for sustaining relevance for presenting a viable alternative on the political firmament and also encouraging the ranks and cadre.

PC: nationalherald India

• Unfortunately, turn of events starting from the last two parliamentary elections are anything but encouraging for the party that prides in historically recognized yeomen contributions to the cause of the nation but also leading the charge in the process of building developmental agenda helping in positioning the country on the global platform. In the altered scenario, apart from the steady erosion of the support base, the party also has to contend with growing disillusionment amongst the lot.
• Ceding ground has resulted in a consolidation of many regional outfits who have strengthened their respective bases at the cost of the Congress party. Regional satraps are emboldened enough to extract compromising concessions whilst striking alliances during the elections reducing the once-dominant political force into a pale shadow of itself.  Reasons for such a dramatic loss of traction and maneuvering space are obvious to the discerning eyes though.

PC: indianexpress

• Too much dependency on the dynastic family which is progressively becoming the Congress party’s bugbear despite the former losing wider acceptance it once enjoyed overwhelmingly has singularly to be counted as the most prominent factor. What once received fulsome accolades describing the family as the focal point of attention is now construed as a big disadvantage incapable of holding the multitudes in awe or evoking frenzied following.
• The family’s reliance on the sycophants and surrounding coterie that constitutes the so-called old guard is creating spasm between the aspiring second lines of leadership. Note that the distancing is unlikely to be bridged any time soon. What is being witnessed of late in the form of rebellion and subsequent parting away carrying along a chunk of the support base is directly proportionate to the continual inertia of the family to address the issue satisfactorily.

PC: sentinelassam

• The dynamic Jyotiraditya Scindia rebelled against the party for being sidelined and kept waiting in the wings too long to move up the ladder. The outcome is the elected Congress government in Madhya Pradesh paved way for the Bharatiya Janata Party to enter via the backdoor to take charge again.  What is being witnessed in Rajasthan is a repetition where a disgruntled Sachin Pilot was booted out from the Deputy Chief Ministership as also State Presidentship roles for raising the banner of rebellion. The fallout of the action is awaited.
• Therefore, the only way out for the Congress to redeem itself as a force to reckon with is to settle its central leadership question, allowing young leaders space and forcing out the old guard immediately. Otherwise, the party is all set to traverse the way of CPM – run by old comrades that refuse to change with the time – and end up relegating itself.  Indian democracy needs vibrant opposition to keep the Central Government in check and Congress has to redeem now.