Editorial: Can the new chief revive the Congress?

As widely expected, Mallikarjun Kharge beat Shashi Tharoor quite comfortably to become the Congress party’s first non-Gandhi president in 24 years. This in itself is a small gain for the 137-year-old party. In his 80 years, Mr Kharge brings to the party a wealth of experience and pragmatic wisdom which all the three members of the Gandhi family combined had woefully lacked. The main Opposition party can now at long last hope to get its act together. The Congress can begin to hope yet again for a steady but certain revival. Though Mr Tharoor was pipped pretty badly, there was no humiliation in the defeat. He fought well and fought hard, but having known the outcome all along he still raised doubts about the independence of the poll. Without him in the contest, Mr Kharge the ‘unofficial official candidate’ would have simply been the official nominee of the Gandhis. Still, Mr Tharoor polling 1072 votes to the winner’s 7897 highlighted the strong undercurrent against the 10 Janpath establishment, as also the hopes of a younger generation aspiring for a modern, progressive socio-economic milieu free from the taboos and practices of a society rooted in Bharat rather than in India.

As a representative of an English-speaking ultra-elite urban-centric segment, Mr Tharoor might have put off the traditionalist Congress members who might have feared that he is cut off from the real India, but Mr Kharge’s role as the new party chief would also entail creating a hospitable space where both sets of people can thrive together and build a new future for the nation’s oldest political party. Indeed, Mr Kharge would begin his innings well as party chief by ensuring that Mr Tharoor finds a meaningful role in the new organisational structure. Though the president-elect has said that he would consult the Gandhis whenever required, and would certainly find a role for Rahul Gandhi after consulting him, we have a feeling that Mr Kharge would consciously — and unconsciously — try and be his own man in his new position.

Having been the leader of the Opposition in his home State, Karnataka, then later in the Lok Sabha and currently in the Rajya Sabha, the 80-year-old Mr Kharge might now be handling his toughest assignment yet. For reviving the fortunes of the fast-sinking Congress party is not an easy task, especially given the vice-like grip that the Bharatiya Janata Party seems to have over the electorate. What needs to be done to put the Congress back on the path of relevance may not be lost on the veteran politician.

Yet, it bears reiteration that the Congress party needs to clearly delineate what it stands for, what it does not, and what it is willing to do to stop the BJP steamroller. Foremost is ideological identity, to broadly set out its socio-economic profile, to clarify whether it will flirt with soft Hindutva and thus play second-best to BJP’s strong Hindutva. Confusion stemming from a janeu-dhari Rahul Gandhi’s visits to temples on election-eve is a case in point. Second is no less significant. Under Mr Kharge, will the party take the initiative in forging a broad Opposition front to take on the ascendant BJP? Or it will insist on leading such a combination, especially projecting its own leader as shadow Prime Minister? Before he begins to engage the Opposition parties, the Congress president will have to do some internal engineering, securing the co-operation of disgruntled members, quelling the last vestiges of dissidence (including from members of the so-called G-23), and generally ensuring that every party member puts his shoulder to the Congress wheel.

The immediate test is in Rajasthan where, after the betrayal of Ashok Gehlot, which actually paved the way for Mr Kharge to become the party chief, CM-aspirant Sachin Pilot is left nursing his wounds. Unsurprisingly, Mr Gehlot, in order to continue as Chief Minister, has again taken to swearing life-long loyalty to the Gandhi family. Chhattisgarh, another state where the Congress is in power on its own, has a similar problem with Health Minister T S Singh Deo insisting on replacing Bhupesh Baghel as Chief Minister as per a pre-election agreement. Resolving these knotty problems will need all his accumulated experience and wisdom. A sense of humility rather than haughtiness will stand him in good stead. The party should not allow its past glory to come in the way of future growth; instead, it should negotiate with other Opposition parties based on its non-presence in much of the country. Mr Kharge has his job cut out. For a vibrant democracy, a strong Opposition is absolutely necessary. Whether the Congress under Mr Kharge can play that role, will be keenly watched.