Before writing on reviving the Congress, one must answer the moral question — should the Congress be revived at all? Is it more in India’s interest to let it flounder and die, because the party’s past sins can never be forgiven, and we have a decent government in place anyway? Or is it necessary in a democracy to have at least two strong national alternatives, which in turn creates competition and keeps politicians on their toes?
Both arguments have validity. The Congress’ arrogance, scams, and insistence on dynasty despite the country rejecting its heirs makes one wonder: why should we bother at all? Let them stew in their own mess; what could be better retribution for repeatedly ignoring the people who gave them power? And yet, for the long-term health of our democracy, we must revive it. Lack of accountability is what has led to problems in the past. If we kill all competition for the ruling party, I don’t see how we will bring out the best in the government. Also, we must understand — political parties are amorphous, dynamic organizations that change over time. The mandirloving BJP of the eighties, for instance, is different from the present BJP. Hindu causes no longer feature in the party’s priority list like they used to. People made it change. Citizens can and should hammer parties into the right shape. Congress is no exception.
So what should be done? The number one issue of course is leadership and the role of the Gandhi family. The issue is perplexing because the Gandhi family serves two purposes at the top. One, they are a nationally known brand. With a legacy and history, the Gandhis are the face of the Congress. Two, they hold the party together. If they leave, there would be a mad scramble for the throne, creating a risk of implosion and chaos.
The first reason — Gandhis as a selling point — no longer holds. They bring limited value in terms of winning elections. Whatever few seats Congress wins now is usually due to the appeal of the local leader. In fact, the bitter truth is the brand may even be negative. At the moment, Rahul Gandhi is a votecutter, not a vote-getter. Many Indians hold the view that he is either incapable, or not interested, or doesn’t quite get us. It could all be a huge misunderstanding, with Rahul’s inherent genius lost on the commoners, but perceptions matter in politics.
The second reason is tricky. The Gandhis are still needed as the power glue at the top. Which is why confused Congressmen want to replace Rahul, but only with another Gandhi. Sadly, even Priyanka may not work, with little experience, inclination or capability demonstrated so far. What then, Congressmen? In order to be solution oriented and not rub salt on wounds, here is a quick four-step solution to get the revival started in the Congress. It’s drastic, unspoken but needed. Well, someone needs to bell the cat, so here goes:
1) Create a triumvirate of power: Three young Congress leaders hold potential in terms of their capability as well as brand recognition. Sachin Pilot, Milind Deora and Jyotiraditya Scindia are somewhat known and seen as the newer avatar of Congress. Controls must be handed over to them, and within themselves they can carve out roles for each other. Since real power is a while away, there won’t be a need to choose the super boss amongst the three for a long time.
2) Graceful handover of power: The trick is to not come across as though the family has been toppled. The triumvirate should not go head-on against the family in party elections. Rahul himself must anoint the three as heads of the party with full freedom to run the show. Rahul need not exit. He can play the role of a moral keeper, speaking when needed on the margins and on high-level conceptual issues, which seems to be to his liking anyway.
3) Weeding out the unnecessary: If party members are old, rusted and tarnished, there is no reason to keep them. If Modi can have the courage to remove ministers, who were tall leaders themselves, in five months, the triumvirate can definitely do some weeding out (with Rahul’s tacit blessing).
4) Taking on the ruling party: Nobody can or has ruled without missteps. Modi is hands-on and enjoys people’s trust. Thus, attacking him does go against the public mood at the moment. However, the triumvirate can pick the genuine mistakes, fight the right battles and reclaim some political ground. These steps aren’t easy, and require transformation of an old organization that isn’t used to losing and changing. Still, for the sake of our democracy, a cleansing is worth the attempt. Swachh Congress, anyone?
November 16, 2014 ()