Congress must not lose this opportunity to rebuild the party

Rahul Gandhi’s resignation has finally become a reality. It puts an end to the series of embarrassing dharnas which would have continued to take place.

His four-page letter would force the Congress Working Committee to select a new Congress president. Eventually, it will be ratified by the All India Congress Committee where Rahul Gandhi would sit as an ordinary member.

His sister and mother may continue in the party and may even influence the course of decision making, the fact remains that a non-Gandhi would be at the helm of the affair after a long time.

Last time a non-Gandhi was at the helm of affairs, the Indian economy opened up and India was introduced to its architecture Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Congress must not lose this opportunity to rebuild the party. Dynasty indeed has become a baggage and Gandhi’s instead of being assets were turning out to be the dead weights for the party. Rahul Gandhi’s stepping aside can create a collegial style of government.

It is a lesson which Congress can learn from BJP. After Jan Sangh experiment failed BJP was formed in the 1980s.

Top leaders in 1980s were unable to take on Indira and Rajiv Gandhi. Instead of taking them head on they focused on different states where they saw the possibility of making governments on their own.

Coupled with traction drawn from Ram Janmabhoomi Andolan, BJP broke new ground in western and central India. Powerful chief ministers emerged.

Starting from Sundaralal Patwa to Bhairo Singh Shekhawat. The central leadership was collegial in nature. A plethora of strong leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Rajmata Scindhia to LK Advani dominated the Delhi BJP.

They also allowed powerful chief ministers to exist. It is this model which Congress should forward to. Though it may never enjoy a support structure in the form of RSS it can start from scratch.

Rahul Gandhi in his letter blamed RSS and their idea of India. Ironically, he himself has been inconsistent in his politics. Much has been written about the loss, but the fact remains that the electorate rejected Rahul Gandhi.

He can be appreciated for staying firm on his decision. But a greater challenge lies ahead for the Congress Party. It cannot allow the message to go out that Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi are trying to control the party from a remote.

The message which should go isthat Congress as a party can survive without any family or individual.

The idea of family being the centre of a political organisation had made Congress intellectually vain and bankrupt. This self-sustaining ecosystem still exists in Congress. It needs to be broken so that new and real politicians can find space in the new Congress.

The new Congress will need to redefine its ideological core which was unable to recraft itself because of the Nehru Gandhi baggage. PV Narasimha Rao was able to recreate a new foreign and economic policy because he was not burdened by the past.

New partypresident should try creating aCongress which is not burdened by the personal history of Nehru Gandhi dynasty. Possibilities are immense and Congress leadership should not lose thisopportunity to recraft the party and allow subaltern leadership to occupy it's every nook and corner which has been sized by dynasties in every form.

What people would like to see is as to howSonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will work in a Congress run by a non-Gandhi. I’m sure that 1990s cannot be recreated but then in politics everything is possible and if the latter becomes a reality in future then it would become an exercise in futility. Congress needs to be liberated from the dynasty.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)