Is Congress’s First Family Slipping into Irrelevance?

Politics is as much about perception as it is about power. And in the unforgiving theatre of public life, symbolism often speaks louder than speeches. The recent viral video from a Rashtrapati Nilayam event—where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge appeared to exit a diplomatic high tea unnoticed by visiting dignitaries—has triggered an uncomfortable but unavoidable question: Is the Congress party’s once-dominant first family fading into political irrelevance, both nationally and globally?

In another era, such a scene would have been unthinkable. Whether during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure as Prime Minister—both in office and in Opposition—or when Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sat on the Opposition benches, visiting foreign leaders made it a point to acknowledge the Congress leadership. That institutional courtesy extended well into the Sonia Gandhi years. The Gandhi name carried political weight, if not always electoral success. Today, that aura appears diminished, replaced by an indifference as stark as it is symbolic.

To be fair, the Congress did improve its parliamentary tally in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, doubling its seat count from 2019. Rahul Gandhi, by virtue of that outcome, became the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha—a constitutionally significant position. Yet political stature is not measured by designation alone. It is shaped by conduct, credibility, and consistency, especially on the international stage.

Rahul Gandhi’s overseas remarks have repeatedly invited controversy. His characterization of India as a “union of states rather than a nation,” and his public criticisms of India’s democratic institutions before foreign audiences, have been seized upon by the ruling party as evidence of a leader willing to air domestic grievances on global platforms. Whether one views this as courageous dissent or strategic miscalculation, the political cost has been unmistakable: a growing perception, even within diplomatic circles, that the Congress leadership lacks a cohesive national narrative.  Such behaviour stunned even the White House officials as one of them even wondered whether Rahul has come from India or Pakistan, for his uncharitable statements against his own country.

Adding to this discomfort are statements by senior Congress figures that have raised eyebrows across the political spectrum. Mani Shankar Aiyar’s comments on a Pakistani television channel, suggesting external pressure could play a role in unseating Prime Minister Narendra Modi, handed the BJP a political gift—one that reinforced its long-standing charge that the Congress seeks international leverage where it fails to secure a domestic mandate.

The erosion, however, is not merely external. It is also internal. The Congress has now crossed a symbolic milestone few parties would envy: a decade of sustained electoral setbacks across state and national contests. Since 2014, it has lost successive Lok Sabha elections and seen its footprint shrink in traditional strongholds. The exits of senior leaders—Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Jitin Prasada, among others—tell a story of ideological drift and leadership dissatisfaction. These were not political lightweights; they were organizational pillars who cited a lack of internal democracy and strategic direction.

What remains is a party struggling to balance legacy with relevance. The Congress still commands a nationwide presence, a vote base in key states, and a role in coalition politics. But the Gandhi surname, once its greatest political asset, now appears increasingly unable to unify the party or expand its appeal beyond its core supporters.

The Rashtrapati Nilayam moment, viral though it may be, is not the cause of this decline—it is merely a symptom. The deeper issue is the Congress’s failure to articulate a compelling, forward-looking vision that resonates with a young, aspirational electorate. Political nostalgia cannot substitute for policy clarity, and pedigree alone cannot replace performance.

For a party that once defined India’s political destiny, the challenge is no longer just about defeating the BJP. It is about rediscovering its own identity in a rapidly changing national and global landscape. Until that happens, moments of public indifference will continue to sting—not because they are staged, but because they reflect a shifting political reality the Congress can no longer afford to ignore.