Cong on horns of dilemma

New Delhi

For the past few weeks, the Congress is facing a crisis. Ever since its president Rahul Gandhi dropped a bombshell of stepping down and insisting on acceptance of his resignation, the grand old party is a state of flux.

Never has the internal struggle in the party arrived at such a crossroads since president Sonia Gandhi’s resignation two decades ago after the trio of Sharad Pawar, Tariq Anwar and Purno A Sangma raked up the foreign-origin issue.

After Pawar and the two other members of the Congress Working Committee were expelled from the party, there never was an occasion in the party that could be construed as any remote form of threat to the leadership.

Her stewardship saw the Congress rise like a proverbial Phoenix to wrest power from the seemingly invincible BJP-led NDA under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Her grip over the party remained firm till she eventually transferred reins of the party to son Rahul.

Having shed his initial years of reluctance both as a parliamentarian and in the party, Rahul took his own time to slip into the saddle as the president, a seat once occupied by members of his family across generations. The smooth transition from Sonia to Rahul underscored the inherit pull of the Nehru-Gandhi’s and their distinct connect with the party.

The party remained steadfast with Rahul and rallied firmly behind him as he led from the front to challenge Narendra Modi-led NDA. Yet, the combined might of the assembled generals within the Congress found themselves outfoxed by the Modi-Amit Shah combine. The results left a deep scar, immense disappointment and sense of emptiness within the Congress.

Adding to the melancholy of the dispirited Congress workers and leaders is the Damocles sword in the form of Rahul’s move to relinquish charge of the party while offering to continue working for the party as a disciplined soldier.

There have been protests, some muted and others pronounced, urging the Congress president to continue. There is no indication yet that the chorus will result in a change of heart. Meanwhile, the vacuum in leadership is showing signs of strain in state units where warring factions are gunning for opponents openly.

The BJP should be savouring the state of despair in the Congress. If Rahul sticks to his plan, the BJP can claim having successfully banished the principal ‘dynast’, while its cadre may mock at a leader who left the field. The psychological impact of such a campaign will take a long time to be reversed.

The Congress continues to be on the horns of dilemma. The road ahead is difficult and climb steep. It is imperative that Rahul takes a call without further delay of either continuing with the role or helping the party find a successor just as PV Narasimha Rao did in arriving at a consensus on Sitaram Kesri.