The Congress party is brainstorming ways to overcome the electoral challenges posed by the Bharatiya Janata Party which has almost pushed the grand old party on the verge of near extinction in some states. The Congress leaders have put forward different views to counter the BJP and its narratives. The party leaders want to focus on social justice, caste census, quota limit breach and national harmony to return to power. To counter the ‘secularism’ jibe often taken by the BJP, the Congress leaders have now proposed to use the word ‘national harmony’.
Within the Congress party, two prominent perspectives exist. The dominant view supports strongly criticizing the government and opposing its actions at every step. In contrast, a smaller faction believes the party should focus on presenting a constructive and alternative vision, while still highlighting the government’s shortcomings. The Congress leaders are of the view that while the party can continue targeting the BJP and its policies, it must present a future plan to take the voters in confidence, especially the youth who are looking for action and not just talks.
Shafi Parambil, Congress MP from Kerala, urged the party to focus on the youth. “Let us ideologically be clear, let us be futuristic, let us talk about the youngsters and the future generation, and let us have a plan and act according to the plan,” he said.
Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor highlighted the need for the party to regain or attract those voters who used to vote for the Congress but have abandoned it in the last three Lok Sabha elections. “We are all too conscious that the young voters who are the majority today do not apparently give much importance to history. They want to know what we will do for them and what kind of tomorrow we can provide them,” said Tharoor.
The two-day All India Congress Committee (AICC) meet in Ahmedabad was a calculated effort to reassert the party’s connection to Patel’s enduring legacy in Gujarat — a legacy that has, over the years, been overshadowed by rival political narratives.
“We are here not just to remember Sardar Patel but to remind the country of the values he truly stood for — secularism, unity, and inclusive nation-building,” said Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge during the proceedings.
The Sabarmati Ashram and the nearby Sardar Smarak are both soaked in the memories of India’s freedom struggle. It was from these very lands that Gandhi and Patel began many of their revolutionary campaigns — Kheda, Bardoli, and Salt Satyagraha.
These echoes were not lost on the Congress Working Committee (CWC) members, who gathered in full force, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, determined to draw strength from the past in order to reposition their party for the future.
The state of Gujarat holds a complex relationship with the Congress. Once a stronghold of the party, Gujarat has not seen a Congress government since 1995. The rise of the BJP has been meteoric, and it has anchored much of its success in Gujarat around cultural pride, development politics, and historical symbolism. Patel has played a central role in this narrative.
For Congress, returning to Gujarat is not merely a symbolic gesture — it is an urgent political necessity. The Sabarmati meet also comes at a time when the party is trying to rebuild its cadre, forge grassroots connections, and counter the BJP’s domination ahead of the 2024 elections.
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