Ruthless reforms: Only route to resurrection for Congress

The Congress stands at a decisive moment, not just electorally but institutionally. Its challenge is not merely defeating a formidable ruling party. It is rebuilding credibility. That begins with internal reform, not external rhetoric. Discipline before decibels. Structure before slogans.

One structural reality continues to define public perception: the dominance of the Nehru-Gandhi family. For decades, the family has provided continuity and recognisable leadership. But continuity can also create dependence.

A modern political organisation cannot appear tethered to a single lineage while simultaneously claiming to represent democratic renewal. The paradox is sharp. On one side, concentrated leadership. On the other, a culture of sycophancy that discourages dissent and honest feedback. The two reinforce each other.

Experience need not disappear; it should evolve. Senior leaders, including members of the first family, can transition toward mentorship, strategic oversight and ideological articulation while allowing organisational leadership to broaden.

That shift would send a powerful signal that the party trusts its own depth. The Congress has no shortage of capable district presidents, municipal councillors, social activists and young legislators. What it lacks is a systematic ladder from Panchayat to Parliament.

The United States offers one instructive contrast. Its primary system compels aspirants to build local credibility before seeking national prominence. Candidates begin with community networks, state-level endorsements, fundraising discipline and issue-based campaigning.

They compete internally before facing the opposition. The process is imperfect, but it decentralises opportunity. It creates political apprenticeship. Step by step — precinct meetings, state primaries, national conventions — leadership is tested in public view.

The Congress could adapt aspects of that culture without mechanically copying the system. Internal primaries for district and state leadership posts.

Transparent performance audits. Mandatory grassroots service before parliamentary tickets. Structured debates among contenders. Such mechanisms would legitimise candidates beyond patronage. Talent would rise through work, not proximity.

Barack Obama’s political journey underscores another lesson. His career was built on community organising in Chicago long before he entered national office. Even after leaving the presidency, he has invested in leadership fellowships, civic engagement programmes and issue-based coalitions.

The emphasis is on building communities around causes — climate action, healthcare, democratic participation — rather than merely mobilising for elections.

The Congress, with its historic ideological foundation, could nurture similar platforms. Universities or academies of social change linked to the party’s values — training in constitutional literacy, policy research, grassroots mobilisation and digital advocacy — would cultivate a new cadre grounded in ideas rather than personality.

Such institutional investment would also shift the opposition’s energy from disruption to design. Parliament cannot become a permanent theatre of protest. Interruption has its place. But policy counter-proposals carry more weight. A shadow cabinet, long discussed but never fully institutionalised, could provide that structure.

Designated spokespersons tracking each ministry, publishing periodic reviews and offering alternative drafts — this is how credibility is built. Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi can articulate overarching concerns, but portfolio specialists must shoulder sustained scrutiny.

Congress-ruled states offer the most immediate laboratories. Criticism of unemployment and inflation resonates nationally. Yet the persuasive counter lies in demonstration.

Karnataka, Telangana and other Congress governments can prioritise measurable job ecosystems: technology incubators, AI-focused skill missions, startup partnerships with universities and streamlined regulatory systems. Artificial intelligence will shape employment patterns. Integrating AI literacy into state skill programmes would be a forward-looking move.

Education reform presents another opportunity for tangible leadership. Pilot projects in government schools — digital classrooms, teacher training tied to measurable learning outcomes, bilingual STEM curricula and vocational streams linked to local industry — could create replicable models.

Higher education partnerships with industry, research grants tied to social innovation and community colleges focused on rural entrepreneurship — these are reforms that can be showcased with data rather than speeches.

Agriculture too can move beyond loan waivers. Integrated farming systems such as duck-rice cultivation, successfully practised in parts of China and Japan, demonstrate how ecological methods can improve productivity and reduce chemical dependence. Adapted thoughtfully, such models can enrich Indian experimentation.

Infrastructure innovations like Kerala’s coir-based road reinforcement offer additional examples of local resource utilisation. Development narratives must rest on practical pilots, not rhetorical flourishes.

Transparency is equally central. Real-time expenditure dashboards, e-procurement platforms, social audits and citizen grievance tracking in Congress-ruled states would reinforce credibility. The widely publicised slogan of incorruptibility should not belong to one political formation alone. It can be operationalised administratively.

Finally, federal maturity matters. Inviting the Prime Minister and Union ministers to state investment summits or cultural events signals confidence rather than concession. Cooperative federalism should not be episodic.

If invitations are declined, the optics speak for themselves. If accepted, governance benefits.None of these shifts require dramatic proclamations. They require steady recalibration. Less personality projection. More institutional depth. Less reactive outrage. More proactive architecture.

The Congress still possesses a nationwide footprint, historical legitimacy and a reservoir of committed workers. But renewal will not come from nostalgia or noise. It will come from widening leadership, rewarding merit, investing in civic capacity and demonstrating governance competence where power is already entrusted.

Relevance is not inherited. It is rebuilt. Quietly. Persistently. Step by step.

(The columnist is a Mumbai-based author and independent media veteran, running websites and a youtube channel known for his thought-provoking messaging)