The Congress at 140, a crisis of structure, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• The Indian National Congress (INC), at 140 years, faces institutional erosion, unlike the cadre-based Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supported by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
• Since the 1969 split, the Congress has seen a decline in local leadership and mass mobilization capabilities due to centralization of authority.
• Despite perceptions, the Congress allows internal dissent, exemplified by the G-23, though this reveals vulnerabilities.
• The Congress's structural weakness, particularly at the grassroots level, was highlighted in the November 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

Detailed Insights:

• The BJP benefits from the RSS's ideological and institutional ecosystem, providing cadre support for propaganda, election management, and booth-level coordination, a structure the Congress lacks.
• Electoral leadership has substituted organizational depth since 1969, with limited efforts to strengthen internal structures even when leaders outside the Gandhi family headed the party.
• The Congress's decentralized campaign management, as seen in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, contrasts with the BJP's centralized control, reflecting the Congress's intrinsic pluralism.
• While the BJP maintains tight control over state organizations, the Congress conducted elections for Party President in 2022, indicating internal democracy, though with limitations.
• The Congress's tolerance of dissent, exemplified by the G-23, signals internal freedom but also exposes factionalism and indecision, hampering political growth in states like Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
• Rahul Gandhi's attempts to reform the Congress have stalled due to resistance from within, with senior leaders hindering efforts to devolve authority and rework internal hierarchies.
• The Congress needs to nurture state- and district-level leadership and create institutional pathways for new voices to assume responsibility, addressing the dominance of dynastic leadership.
• With the striking down of electoral bonds, the Congress needs a revitalized party driven by a radical progressive vision and sustained mass engagement to counter the BJP's advantages.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Cadre-based party: A political organization that relies on dedicated, trained members for grassroots mobilization and ideological propagation.
• Centralization: The concentration of power and decision-making authority at the highest levels of an organization or government.
• Internal Democratization: The process of making an organization's internal decision-making processes more democratic and participatory.