TeaEighty-year-old Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge has been elected as the 98th president of the 137-year-old Congress party, which remained in government for several years after independence. After losing two consecutive general elections (2014 and 2019) and facing the prospect of being taken off the political map of India, the Congress party needed a metamorphosis, not just a change of leadership. Known as the G-23, the party was known as the G-23 as a result of growing discontent among heavyweights and promised to bring that much-needed image change and a grand revival to face the BJP in 2024.
But what started with a bang seems to have been suppressed with a whisper.
Group One Group Week: G-23
The “First Family” of Congress was never concerned about the G-23, the Ginger group that represented the rebels and demanded a change in the top leadership. This was because none of the G-23s wanted to ring the bell to the cat, and neither of them were ready to support each other. They were a collection of giants who were individually rebellious but collectively meek. The Gandhi Trimurti knew this from day one. The best option for him was to challenge the G-23 with an internal election which he did. So Kharge won but Congress lost.
From an umbrella organization during the freedom struggle, Congress transformed into a political party after independence. The first generation of leadership that fought for freedom, democracy and politics of value faded into oblivion after the 16-year tenure of the first prime minister and Lal Bahadur Shastri for a short period. The ideals and commitments of the freedom struggle gave place to the politics of convenience, corruption and compromise. Indira Gandhi defended her corrupt regime by saying, “Corruption is a global phenomenon,
The survival and survival of the party became the primary objective of the Congress. Two things became German to achieve these objectives: creating a viable administrative system and keeping the party under the thumb of the “Gandhi-Nehru” family. This ensured Rajiv Gandhi’s ascent to the top position without merit or political acumen. Trouble for the Congress began soon after the tragic assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
It is no secret that the current top leadership of the party has no organic connection with (Mahatma) Gandhi and has little or no resemblance to the Congress, which was once led by Jawaharlal Nehru and other stalwarts of the freedom struggle.
The administrative and political ecosystem that emerged after Sonia Gandhi took over the party ensured a fragmented mandate to form the government, but without the first family member in the seat of power. First, it was PV Narasimha Rao and then Manmohan Singh who presided over the government under the strict supervision and control of the family ‘owned and run’ party. All attempts to impose a family member as prime minister failed or perhaps failed.
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Congress after Modi
Under these circumstances, the 2014 election dealt a severe blow to the ‘family’ and its control over the party. The BJP’s charismatic leadership, well crafted and well executed political strategy and above all, corruption free governance signaled a new beginning, bringing back memories of the early days of commitment and idealism. The administrative, systemic and bureaucratic webs of years were thrown to the dust. ,walksThe attitude was changed from “led by example”, where the PM, party and people were in tune with each other.
The Narendra Modi government has rewritten the rules of the political game. For the family-owned Congress, this narrative was new and impossible to comprehend, not at all confrontational. There was bound to be a rift within the party as many leaders not only lost the elections but also lost political relevance. Some of them noticed the straw in the air and quickly jumped into the BJP party. But many old stalwarts demanded an explanation for the party’s debacle, disorientation, and a major course reform. Although, initially, the family strongly opposed the change, it soon realized the need to accommodate the demands of the “non-family” leadership and prudently quell the rebellion.
Two things became clear. That the “family” could no longer officially hold the top post. And the top position should be held by a person who will always be under the family. Such a person should have no followers in the party, no support base within or outside the party and more importantly, never claim his importance or intelligence. And hence, the choice of Kharge and the dismissal of Tharoor.
The options before Tharoor are insignificant and unimportant because first the family has shown its power and Tharoor has shown his position. It is only a matter of time before the G-23 can fly in the air. But the sad part is that the political landscape is devoid of a strong opposition that will support the government in all its good programs and decry it for errors of commission and omission. The void created by Congress will now be occupied by hordes of charlatans in the form of regional organizations and politicians. We don’t need “Congress Mukt Bharat”, we need “Gandhi-Nehru Parivar Mukt Congress”. Seems like a tall order.
The author is a former editor of ‘Organiser’. He tweeted @seshadrichari. Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Anurag Choubey)