Opinion | What Priyanka Must Discard If She's Serious About Congress Revival

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi deserves praise for her entitled debut in Parliament. Occasional similarities to her sibling's headline-grabbing nature aside, her tone seemed less bitter.

An analysis of her speech is warranted, as she seems to be increasingly adopting tactics from her brother's playbook to grab instant attention. For someone often compared to Indira Gandhi by Congress members, it is crucial that she forges her own path in electoral politics, distinct from the approach her brother has taken thus far. The stagnant Congress desperately needs that.

Let's consider some of her statements: Vartmaan ki baat kijiye (focus on the present), paise ke bal par sarkar giraaye jaate hain (governments are toppled with the help of money power), and raja bhesh badalkar... (kings used to seek feedback from the people while roaming the streets in disguise). Reading the first and third statements together, the message seems to be this: The ruling class must be alert to contemporary issues and refrain from focusing on past references.

While Priyanka highlighted the ruling coalition's disconnect from the masses in her maiden speech in Parliament, let us apply the same yardstick to the current Congress leadership. They must adhere to the same standards they set for others. After all, the Congress secured nearly 14 crore votes in the Lok Sabha elections, governs several states, and commands 99 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Is The Congress Really 'Connected' To People?

Let us assume for a moment that the ‘connected' Congress leadership has an effective mechanism in place to gather timely feedback from the ground. If that is the case, then why have they suffered a series of shocking election defeats, even in states where they seemed to have an upper hand? What explains the party's stagnation in terms of adding votes over the past 15 years?

The problem lies in the fact that the current Congress leadership is entirely disconnected from the reality of ‘what is' and overly focused on ‘what ought to be'. Their ‘ought to be' approach stems from a sense of entitlement. Since previous Congress governments established PSUs like SAIL, ONGC, BHEL, GAIL, built IITs and IIMs, created AIIMS, implemented economic reforms, and followed a specific brand of secularism, they believe they are entitled to preach to the people about what should happen, rather than focusing on the routine concerns.

How else can we explain their stubborn refusal to course-correct, their continued focus on issues like the caste census (which, by the way, I support), the claim that the Constitution is under threat (leading to an unnecessary four-day debate in Parliament), the repeated narrative of EVM tampering in the face of electoral defeat, or their single-minded pursuit in targeting business houses?

Ditch The Old Congress Playbook

To the ‘connected' Congress leadership, I offer some recent reports as a reality check: Simran Shaikh, a girl from Dharavi, became the most expensive player in the WPL (if this is not a celebration of the Constitution, what is?); Jatin Kumar, the son of a retired Havildar, won the prestigious Sword of Honour at the Indian Military Academy's passing-out parade (yet another sign of a robust Constitution at work); retail investors are at the forefront of a record Rs 3 lakh crore in equity capital raised by India Inc in 2024 alone (does this not show that people are not aligned with Congress's business bashing?); more independent members are joining company boards, signalling an improvement in corporate governance. Shouldn't the ‘connected' Congress leadership take note of these and countless other headlines and figure out whether the issues they continuously raise are truly the concerns of the people?

Priyanka Gandhi has demonstrated flexibility, seems capable of giving a new direction to her party, is not afraid to hit the ground, and comes across as someone willing to abandon the beaten track.

What she needs to do is leave behind the current Congress playbook, which has long expired. Focus on the present. Be honest about the feedback from the ground. Stop grabbing attention on social media with gimmicks (the sticker on her bag was just that). Stop lecturing the people on what they should do. The Congress has a rich tradition and Priyanka is smart enough to draw on the best qualities of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao, Sonia Gandhi, and Manmohan Singh. These leaders did what they believed was right for the country at their respective times.

Understand The Modi Era

We are now in the Narendra Modi era. To mount a semblance of a challenge, Priyanka must first understand the basics of what it stands for. Bold welfarism, a thriving equity culture, assertive nationalism, the rise of a large, caste-agnostic youth demographic, and a confident, aspirational India that is starting to dream big—these are the hallmarks of the Modi era. One cannot dismiss them.
In my previous column, I offered some food for thought. I argued that the Congress cannot hope to grow as long as it ignores the aspirations of a rising India. I concluded with a fictional tale in which the protagonist is left with many regrets, having failed to accept reality. Priyanka must not go down that path.

Now, regarding Priyanka's claim: "Paise ke bal par sarkar giraaye jaate hain" (governments are dismantled with money). An article published in The Print quotes a law professor stating, “between 1957 and 1967, as many as 97 MPs and MLAs defected from the Congress, and 419 defected to it". This was, incidentally, a period of idealism in Indian politics. Defections driven by the pressures of money and muscle power became a menace subsequently, leading Rajiv Gandhi to introduce the anti-defection law in the 1980s.

I urge Priyanka to reconsider her stance in light of these historical facts. 

(The author is Consulting Editor, NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author