Unwilling To Learn From Mistakes Puts Congress Party’s Future In Doubt

Picture : @INCIndia/X

While the  NDA  with BJP  JD(U) Nitish Kumar  and their allies powered their way to a record landlside win in the Bihar elections 2025, the biggest loser was the  GOP of Indian politics the Congress . Contesting 61 seats , the party  a part of the MGB  won  a dismal 6 seats .   What would hurt the party from the results is that the likes of  AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi winning 5 seats  . And rubbing more salt into the Congress wounds would be  Union Minister Chirag Paswan  whose LJP ( Ram Vilas)  party won  an astounding 19/ 20 seats out of the 29 seats  it has contested . The figures of AIMIM and LJP( Ram Vilas) tells you the performance of  India’s oldest party the   Congress.

So what really went wrong? There are various reasons .  In the run- up to the  polls Rahul Gandhi took out the Voter Adhikar Yatra along with Tejashwi Yadav  and which drew large crowds . It created a buzz which some media reports suggested could  have an impact in the forthcoming polls later on .  But after the initial buzz the yatra fizzled out by the time the election dates were announced . Rahul Gandhwi abroad  and the mometum  was lost.

Then Rahul Gandhi  took  on the ECI with the Vote chori allegations in Haryana  .  But   Vote chori did not  enthuse the public as Congress had anticipated. Ironically , Tejashwi Yadav  stayed away from making any statement on Vote chori prefering to bank on local issues .  Clearly suggesting there was simply no coordination among the MGB regarding the  issues to be raised. MGB took on the ECI over the tricky SIR process . The alliance alleged SIR had  struck off several voters during the process and do a favour to the BJP .

While Rahul Gandhi’s vote chori charge failed to strike a chord the constant reminding the people of the Jungle Raj under Lalu  By NDA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi  24X7 at various rallies across the state and by party spoikespersons in news channels  ensured  RJD’s  disastrous showing as it lost 50 seats from last time .

While RJD after loss  admitted that in politics defeats happen and one will learn from the mistakes and attempt to  bounce back  next time. The Congress,  on the other hand was audacious enough not to admit it’s flaws during  the campaign but put the blame on the doors of The ECI and  the contentious issue of SIR  for the rout .

On the hindsight , Congress may have issues  the way the ECI  ran the polls and the  SIR process that let to  deletion of  several voters. These are valid  topics  that  needs to be debated and raised.  But that does not cover up for the failure of the Congress leadership to find good candidates in state elections.

No state leadership , organisation meant  party workers  morale were at the lowest ebb. What was more surprising was the  Congress choice of observers for Bihar Polls –  Former  Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, and Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. How could the duo who could not win their respective states as Chief Minister’s inspire the laggard  Bihar Unit to win ?  Impossible . The Game of Congress was over there and then.

Why only Bihar, the reason for the  Congress decline in recent times  has been the lack of local leadership in state after  state . Today it has only three Chief Ministers in Telangana, Himachal Pradesh and  Karnataka to boast off .  The party  remember drew blank  three times in row in Delhi assembly polls.  A massive  fall from the high of  15- year reign of  Sheila Dikshit. Adding salt is AAP  getting more seats in the capital.  In Madhya Pradesh, they had the  opportunity  but wily old guards Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh duo ensured  Maharaj Jyotiraditya Scindia’s exit and the result – a BJP government. Scindia now  member of the Union Cabinet.

In Rajasthan , Veteran Ashok Gehlot’s battle with young Sachin Pilot saw the  party lose polls. The cold vibes has not gone yet.   The Rajasthan script is played out in Karnataka too with  CM Siddaramaiah facing stiff challenge from his Deputy DK Shivakumar who too  has Chief Ministerial ambitions . Such  face-offs hit  governance and raise question over stability. And give cannon fodder to BJP  to take jibe  at the Congress  party.

With party in disarray president Mallikarjun Kharge presents a sorry figure . He has been overshadowed by Rahul Gandhi not surprised given the clout the Gandhi’s have on the Congress party. . The Gandhi scion  picks the issues he likes and goes ahead whether it clicks or not. None in the party  has the  spine to walk up to him and say he is going off- track. And his allegations on NDA and attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi are simply not working.

When US President  Donald Trump mentioned India as Dead Economy , Rahul Gandhidid not reject but strangely  echoed his words. It is baffling that when it came to matters of economy  the likes of seasoned P Chidambaram,  former Finance Minister did not rebuff Rahul Gandhi on Dead economy jibe.  Whether one likes it or not India  is now the fourth largest economy  and yes there are several issues  that needs to be addressed and are of concern like the  value of the  Rupee against the Dollar .  But Rahul Gandhi remains unfazed by the  criticism and endless memes of losing 95 polls under his watch been highlighted in social media.

After the  Bihar results, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he anticipates a split in the Congress in the near future . Such grave remarks on the GOP should have seen a retort from party  president  Mallikarjun Kharge . But that did not come. Party instead is sticking to Rahul Gandhi’s vote Chori charge and slamming ECI for listening to BJP’s diktat’s.

At the AICC session Ahmedabad  earlier this  year ,  Shashi Tharoor , Senior Congress leader and four-time Lok sabha MP from  Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in his speech  clearly showed the way forward for the party when he was quoted as saying : Congress must be of hope, not of resentment, a party of positivity, not just negative criticism, a party for the future, not just of the past. “It should be a party with a positive narrative and not just criticism. I hope we will send a message that we will fight and we are for the future.” But Alas! Tharoor’s advise  was put on cold storage.

Lastly , As the GOP declines politically with series of electoral losses . It is indeed ironical that the Congress party which was symbol of Nationalism and was the central figure  during the  freedom movement is a pale showdow of its former self and today dubbed as anti- national .  And it is  due to it’s  inability  to change  with the  times have now allowed the  BJP to usurp the  nationalism  tag.  So much so that the party which had no role in the freedom  movement is today audacious  and brazen enough to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. This shift alone explains  state of the   the Congress today ie. at the Crossroads.