The Congress party has been losing its foothold ever since the Bhartiya Janata Party came to power in 2019.
Despite being an active leader and quite vocal against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi failed to make a mark and win hearts. After massive failure in the General Elections 2019, Rahul Gandhi resigned from the post of Congress President, leaving a vacuum behind.
Post that, Rahul’s mother and senior Congress leader took charge as the party’s interim president with a hope to bring the party back on track. No wonder then, upcoming elections in Indian states hold a lot of importance for not just Congress but for Sonia Gandhi in particular.
According to senior party leaders, some of the key reasons given for Gandhi to stay on was that ahead of key state polls the party should not engage in finding a new face. It had already faced a number of desertion, and more could leave in the absence of an established leadership like that of Gandhi.
The party is prepping up in full swing to make a comeback as elections to Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand are slated to be held later this year.
In Maharashtra, the contrast between the saffron party and the Congress is stark. While both BJP and its electoral ally Shiv Sena have hit the ground running, conducting rallies and state-wide yatras, Congress workers are in a state of languor. Sonia has to quickly overhaul the party as the organisation is in total disarray in Maharashtra.
Ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, which are due early next year, senior Delhi Congress leaders recently met Sonia Gandhi. Party’s Delhi unit in-charge P.C. Chacko and state working presidents Rajesh Lilothia and Harun Yusuf reportedly discussed various issues with the Congress interim President.
Meanwhile the party is pinning high hopes on Gandhi. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury recently said that under the leadership of interim president Sonia Gandhi, the party will become stronger.
“Congress party has been associated with the Nehru-Gandhi family even before Independence. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi have sacrificed their lives for India. In Congress, everybody respects this family. That’s why when a leader is chosen from this family to run the party, the Congress workers across India feel overjoyed. It will be profitable for the party to have Sonia Gandhi has interim president,” he said.