Congress Must Look Outside Gandhis For Leadership. But Letter Of Dissent Is Drowned In Predictable Charges Of Treachery

The drama over the letter by 23 Congress leaders to the party high command played to a predictable script. The demand for changes in the party organisation raised by the letter writers, which included former chief ministers and central ministers, was dismissed as insubordination and even treachery and the Congress Working Committee reposed its faith in the Nehru-Gandhi family.

- Ronojoy Sen

While Sonia Gandhi, who offered to resign, will continue as the party’s interim president, the only concession was on the election of a new president when the next All India Congress Committee (AICC) session takes place.

The latest episode, involving an attempt to reform the moribund Congress, is yet another reminder of some truisms about the party. One, questioning or even ignoring the Nehru-Gandhi family within the Congress comes at great cost. There are numerous examples, including most famously that of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, who was declared persona non grata after he refused to give Sonia enough respect.