The Indian National Congress (INC), which was once a dominant political force in India, has faced a steady decline over the past three decades. With repeated electoral setbacks and an internal leadership crisis, the party is now standing at a crossroads. At the centre of this revival attempt is Rahul Gandhi a figure regularly criticised for being a part-time politician, but congressmen still see him as the last hope for the party’s resurgence.
As per Rahul Gandhi’s critics, his leadership has been polarising, and they still further argue that under his leadership, Congress has lost crucial elections and failed to present a consistent narrative. He changes his narrative on a daily basis. Last year before the general election, he embarked on ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, which people thought would be a turning point in his career, but this yatra did not give the Congress party to turn its electoral fortune to great extent.
The challenge for Rahul Gandhi, however, is immense. Because the Congress party faces not just the might of BJP’s political machinery but also competition from regional parties like AAP, TMC, DMK, RJD and many more, that have eroded Congress’s traditional vote bank. Congress also faces organisational weaknesses, lack of fresh leadership at the state levels, and internal dissent further complicates this revival process.
Rahul Gandhi’s success in reviving his party will depend on his ability to modernize the party, empower regional leaders, build a strong opposition alliance, and offer a credible alternative to the present ruling party BJP.
But in reality scenario is quite different:
1 Political Context- A legacy in decline
Since 2014, when Congress projected Rahul Gandhi as their Prime Ministerial candidate against Narendra Modi, the Congress party has faced major electoral setbacks. From holding 206 seats in the Lok Saba in 2009, its tally dropped to just 44 in 2014, 52 in 2019, and rose to 99 in 2024 (after his Bharat Jodo Yatra and formation of INDI alliance). The reasons are multifaceted like BJP’s robust nationalist narrative, the charishma and communication skills of PM Narendra Modi, and growing public disillusionment with dynastic politics. The question, then is whether Rahul Gandhi can transform from a reluctant politician into decisive leader capable of turning tide.
Rahul Gandhi entered Lok Sabha in 2004, ie he has been in active politics for last 21 years, and has been the top leader of Congress since 2014, but in my opinion he has failed in his every attempt to rejuvenate the party at every level.
2 Rahul Gandhi—Between Criticism and Potential
His political journey has been turbulent. He has been accused of inconsistency, poor communication skills, and lack of political acumen. Satirical references like “Pappu” have been weaponised to paint him him as disconnected from the ground realities. His resignation as party President after the 2019 debacle was seen as a shirking of responsibility, while his supporters viewed it as a moral stand rarely seen in Indian politics.
Challenges Rahul Gandhi Must Overcome
- Organisational weakness– The Congress party lacks strong state-level leadership in many regions. Decades of centralization around Gandhi family have weakened its organizational structure. If he wants to revive the party, he must focus on decentralizing power, empowering local leaders, and building a robust second rung of leadership. Looking at the Congress’ culture for the last so many decades, which revolves and centers around Gandhi family, this will be major obstacle.
- Communication Gap– In the age of social media and 24/7 news cycle, effective communication is crucial. His communication often lacks clarity and consistency. If he has to revive Congress, he must adopt a more assertive and coherent communication strategy. Presently, most of the time he talks out of the context and before speaking it looks like he has not understood the issue on which he is talking.
- Factionalism and Infighting- Internal divisions have severely affected Congress. High-profile exits like Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ghulam Nabi Azad and others highlight the dissatisfaction within. Rahul Gandhi must present a unifying vision that encourages loyalty and discourages opportunism.
- Countering the BJP Narrative– The BJP’s ideological coherence and electoral machinery are formidable. To counter this, Congress under Rahul’s leadership must build a compelling narrative-one that speaks to the aspirations of both rural and urban India, the youth, and marginalized communities.
- Opposition Unity– With the 2024 general elections now past, a cohesive opposition remains essential. While Congress is a natural anchor for any anti-BJP alliance, because of its pan India presence to some extent. There are some regional parties of INDI alliance which are very strong in their regions, like SP in Uttar Pradesh, TMC in West Bengal, DMK in Chennai, RLD in Bihar, AAP in Punjab/Delhi, and these parties are in no mood to listen to Rahul Gandhi for electoral alliance in their respective regions. Rahul Gandhi should be willing to share space with them, so that regional aspirations can be accommodated, alliances can be forged on trust rather than ego.
What Will Determine the Outcome
The future of Congress does not rest on one leader alone, Rahul Gandhi can be analyst, but they must cultivate 2nd rung leadership, but the success depends on several factors:
- How well he collaborates with other opposition leaders.
- Whether he can modernize the Congress’ digital and grassroots machinery.
- His ability to appeal to a changing, aspirational electorate.
- The extent to which he can foster ideological clarity without alienating diverse section of the population.
- He must stop speaking against the country, whenever he is travelling overseas. He should on the contrary talk, present government is doing this thing in this way, if we would have been in power we would have done in a this way.
- He must stop talking about there is emergency by the present government, then it falls back on Congress when Indira Gandhi declared emergency in 1975, and all the opposition leaders were put in prison.
- He must stop talking about the present government will amend the constitution, this statement also falls back on the Congress party because maximum amendment to constitution were done during regime. He should understand with te changing times every constitution needs amendment.
In the end, to me it looks very difficult that Rahul Gandhi can bring Congress party back on electoral track, unless the dynastic culture of party is changed, although for namesake Khadge is Party President but all the decision making power remains with Gandhi family.
The coming years will decide whether he can transform the party or not.
Waiting for your views on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
1st July 2025