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Business News/ Politics / News/  Congress at 135, morale booster from recent polls but braces for bigger challenges
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Congress at 135, morale booster from recent polls but braces for bigger challenges

The last six months has witnessed leadership change on the top post
  • Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi resigned from the top post taking ‘moral responsibility’ of party’s performance in the national polls
  • Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party leaders Rahul Gandhi, K.C. Venugopal, and Ghulam Nabi Azad (ANI)Premium
    Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party leaders Rahul Gandhi, K.C. Venugopal, and Ghulam Nabi Azad (ANI)

    New Delhi: Congress, India’s main opposition, achieved a rare feat on Saturday as it marked its 135th foundation day. The results of assembly elections over the last one year have given a morale booster to the party but it has come with its own set of challenges. This includes Congress becoming a junior partner to regional parties in key states coupled with a leadership crisis which has jolted the party in the aftermath of its second worst historic defeat in Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.

    The last six months has witnessed leadership change on the top post. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi resigned from the top post taking ‘moral responsibility’ of party’s performance in the national polls only to lead to Sonia Gandhi returning once again to the top post. There is yet again beginning of speculation at party’s official headquarters, 24, Akbar Road in the national capital over the return of Rahul Gandhi as Congress president.

    In an interview with Mint earlier this week, former union minister Jairam Ramesh when asked whether the Foundation Day would be a moment of celebration or introspection, he said: “It is a very serious moment, certainly not a moment of celebration. We are facing a crisis, the likes of which we have never faced in 135 years. We have had splits in 1907, in 20s, we had split exactly 50 years ago in 1969, in 1978. We have faced electoral crisis in the past but we have rebounded. But five years ago, we faced an existential crisis and we continue to face it. It is a very serious crisis that we are facing. We had two very bad defeats in 2014 and 2019, the scale of which we did not expect."

    Senior leaders feel that the biggest challenge it is faced with right now is to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at a national level, firm its stand on critical issues and striking a balance on going for alliance vis-à-vis strengthening its own organization in key states.

    “The question of alliance versus self-growth has been an eternal one. In the present scenario too, it is about whether we go alone or we join forces to keep the BJP out of power. In that sense, in states where we have like-minded parties we have gone for alliances and in states where we have direct contest with BJP, we have taken them on," a senior general secretary of the party said requesting anonymity.

    In 2018, Congress contested directly against BJP and formed government in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. In Maharashtra, it formed government as a third partner in the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party alliance and is on course for being part of the government in Jharkhand as a junior partner to Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

    In the next one year, the key electoral challenges for the party will be Bihar and Delhi. In Bihar, Congress is in alliance with regional giant Rashtriya Janata Dal. While in Delhi, Congress will be taking on against incumbent chief minister Arvind Kejriwal led Aam Aadmi Party and an electorally resurgent BJP.

    Meanwhile, the 135-year old party has a series of events lined up for Saturday. Congress president Sonia Gandhi will unfurl the party's flag at the AICC headquarters here on Saturday morning to mark the occasion, while former party chief Rahul Gandhi will address a rally in Assam's Guwahati.

    "Today is the 135th #CongressFoundationDay.I will attend the flag hoisting ceremony at the AICC this morning & later a public rally in Guwahati, Assam. On our foundation day, let us acknowledge the selfless contribution of millions of Congress men & women through the ages," Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Saturday morning.

    The state units of the party will also organise marches across the country to spread its message on "Save Constitution-Save India". Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will address party workers at Lucknow at a meeting of the Uttar Pradesh state unit.

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    Published: 28 Dec 2019, 11:50 AM IST
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