To the extent that they provide an indication of future electoral results, the recently concluded Assembly elections have caused gloom and foreboding within the Congress. The party now faces the threat of losing power in the country's federal seat of governance. The principal reason appears to be an unquestioned acceptance of only one form of leadership, belonging to a particular family, the Gandhis. For several decades this has been the principal attribute of the Congress' style of operations, as Bhupesh Bhandari pointed out in his article, "Congress Inc and its CEO"(December 20, 2013). The process of reforms will have to begin from the top echelons of the Congress.
To the often asked question on who founded the dynasty, the answer is, without a doubt, Indira Gandhi. She relentlessly made the party totally subservient to herself and her immediate family. It would not be unfair to say that is what has happened with Rahul Gandhi's leadership. A seemingly well meaning and amiable man, Gandhi needs to revisit the foundations of his leadership in the Congress and muster the courage to suggest the need for an alternative leadership even if it means a jolt to the prevailing power structures. Similarly, it devolves on other senior members of the party to ask themselves questions, otherwise avoided, and to discuss it in party conclaves. But the only apparent agreement emanating from sessions of the Congress party is, Rahul Gandhi should be given more. The management lexicon has a term titled "toxic leadership". It posits if the leader is simply judged by charisma and background, then he or she becomes detrimental to the success of the organisation. Would it be unfair to say the Congress party's current highest leadership is being subjected to similar attributes?
Ranajoy Sen Kolkata
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