MS Shanker
At the just-concluded two-day All-India Congress Committee (AICC) session in Ahmedabad (April 8–9)—billed as a crucial moment of introspection for a party still reeling from a decade of electoral decline—the Congress once again served up a familiar cocktail of sulking, blame-shifting, and nostalgia. Instead of a bold roadmap or hard-headed strategy, the proceedings were punctuated by token resolutions and vague promises. If this is what political revival looks like, the grand old party may need a translator—preferably someone like Shashi Tharoor.
Yes, the Congress did manage to double its Lok Sabha tally in the 2024 general elections and secured the Leader of the Opposition post for the first time in ten years. But even that small victory was undercut by embarrassing defeats in key states—most notably Maharashtra, where its collapse in India’s financial capital pushed the party further to the margins. In Jammu and Kashmir, the performance was so lacklustre it even rattled its ally, the National Conference. Elsewhere, like in Jharkhand, the party returned to power not on merit but by clinging to the coat-tails of the JMM.
This is the context in which the Congress Working Committee (CWC)—supposedly the party’s highest policy-making body—gathered. With major state elections in Bihar and Tamil Nadu on the horizon, and crucial allies like DMK and RJD playing the lead roles, one might have expected a serious strategy reset. Instead, the spotlight once again fell on Rahul Gandhi—his underwhelming leadership now bordering on the absurd.
Gandhi’s performance in Parliament, especially during the Budget session, added fuel to the fire. Cameras caught him dozing off during a heated debate on the Waqf Board Amendment Bill. He later returned for the vote clad in pyjamas and slippers—as if making a statement, albeit an unintentionally farcical one. It’s no wonder political commentators are increasingly comparing his political acumen to that of a 55-year-old adolescent.
If there is one voice that emerged with clarity and coherence in Ahmedabad, it was that of Shashi Tharoor. A man often seen as too articulate for a party allergic to internal reform, Tharoor didn’t mince words. “The Congress must be a party of hope, not of resentment; a party of positivity, not just negativism; a party of the future, not just of the past,” he told the gathering.
He wasn’t merely speaking in platitudes. Tharoor’s remarks carried a clear subtext—Congress needs to stop reliving its freedom struggle credentials and start crafting a compelling 21st-century narrative. His emphasis on inclusivity—”a good Gujarati, a good Muslim, and a good Indian all at once”—was not just a poetic line. It was a direct challenge to the party’s reliance on identity politics and its outdated obsession with caste arithmetic, which now risks alienating younger, aspirational voters.
To his credit, Tharoor managed to do what most Congress leaders fail to do—convey nationalism without jingoism, assert secularism without tokenism, and articulate criticism without sounding like a broken record of anti-BJP slogans. His subtle swipe at the North-South divide being exploited—whether by the BJP or its regional allies—was a reminder that the Congress cannot afford to become a spectator to India’s fragmenting polity.
The party resolution that Tharoor seconded tried to strike a balance between optimism and realism. “2024 gave us both good and bad news,” he admitted, “but this should be a turning point.” He urged the party to reclaim lost ground with a constructive message rather than perpetual complaint. “Constructive criticism, not unrelenting negativity,” was his refrain.
This is the kind of messaging that could resonate—especially in a political landscape dominated by the sharp contrasts of Narendra Modi’s brand of governance. And yet, instead of empowering leaders like Tharoor, the party seems stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage—clinging to the charisma vacuum of Rahul Gandhi and the gerontocratic grip of leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Digvijaya Singh.
The Congress still seems more focused on opposing legislation like the Waqf Law—already given Presidential assent—than in articulating a coherent alternative vision. As with the abrogation of Article 370 or the criminalization of Triple Talaq, the party appears out of touch with public sentiment, and risks another legal and political embarrassment if it continues on this path.
So, here’s the question the Gandhis must answer: Why not step aside and let more credible, articulate, and contemporary leaders like Tharoor shape the party’s future? Tharoor has mass appeal, international recognition, linguistic finesse, and most importantly, an ability to connect across demographics—a trait sorely missing in the Congress ranks.
In a party where sycophancy often trumps substance, Tharoor’s words stood out as a rare call for reinvention. If the Congress truly wishes to be a party of the future, it must stop being a museum of its past. And for that, it might need to start listening—not just to voters, but to its own best minds.
Because nostalgia doesn’t win elections. Ideas do.
