Why The Congress Party is Fading

The voice of the Nehru-Gandhi family seems more distant than ever. The images of Sonia Gandhi now look more weighed down than she did before 2014. Rahul Gandhi looks confused ever since, though Priyanka is refreshing the ball stops there! Other political parties are vocal, it’s all they have, a voice and voices, which speak endlessly projecting a view and scaping it. Noisy propaganda of all sorts, they have turned that into a wealth of votes, because they came with nothing else but controversial assertions.

Less Seen in the Media

The Congress Party’s share of the media is much less than that of the other parties. Social media lambasts Rahul Gandhi on a daily basis. There are ‘Trolls on Rolls,’ on the job desecrating his persona, with memes and fake videos. The Congress Party has a few sincere followers on social media replying to such hate mongers. But there is no strong action taken against the barrage of falsity by the other parties, the Congress Party makes no effort to negate these activities. They must counter the aggression on social media, the political game, even to sit in opposition.

Less Heard Anywhere

The Congress Party is less heard, it can be anywhere. The protests were on the streets more than in the parliament regarding the CAA or the farmer’s agitation or Hijab controversy and concerning issues. The voices were louder on the streets than in parliament. The party’s voice was weak on these topics and issues.

The Percentage of Young Voters

With the percentage of young voters being more than 50% in India, social media plays an especially significant role in influencing them. The absence of a strong media presence of the Congress Party fades itself out, from these minds, who work and network on computers. The rural youth watch videos and network on the phones too, and the lack of the Congress Party’s presence on these platforms does not work well for the party.

False Propaganda

False propaganda seems the mantra of the day! The Congress Party needs a cell dedicated to negating these propagated by other parties. It seems like the Congress Party has no concrete management on this level. They have lost their share of media coverage. I would like to note here that advertisement or media attention comes free on social platforms. Rajiv Gandhi was the then prime minister, who encouraged transitioning to computers in India, he was the leader in the Congress Party who spoke of Information Technology and its benefits, he foresaw that every village in India could be connected, and agrarian revolution can be made possible. He was right about all that and yet the Congress Party after decades of that has not found its roots entrenched in social media.

Weak Voice

Rahul Gandhi has a very weak voice. Not just that he is not vocal about issues and firm on his point of view, his voice quality is poor. In parliament, he sounds like he is having a drawing-room debate or conversation. As a projected leader and president of the party as he was then, he needed to have practised oration. When he speaks, I hear annoyance, anger, injustice, exasperation, and such. I never hear confidence, clarity, and leadership. Neither is his body language brisk.

Oration

Obama is the king of oration, his speeches are simple, clear, enunciated, confident, directed, and strong. Rahul needs extensive practice and even that may not suffice. He forgets the names of leaders and he doesn’t know that Bengaluru, the IT capital of India is a city. The world outside of India knows Bengaluru and Rahul does not. Indira Gandhi refused to be religiously divisive, and her guards assassinated her, she gave her life to the country. Rajiv Gandhi too died a martyr. Their blood drained for nothing because an entitled middle-aged child cannot carry their legacy and lead, the structured party line conformists, the talent, and the learned people the Congress Party has, which no other party can boast of.

Legacy of a Dynasty

There is nothing wrong with inheriting a legacy, as Rahul Gandhi has, but he must remember that he has not inherited the Congress Party. His ancestors taught Rahul Gandhi by example to rule, equipped him to rule, he should by now have been ready to lead. The legacy of his ancestors having led the party is his, not the Congress Party itself. He must know that there are other esteemed members of the party as well, who are stalwarts in the way they have contributed to the nation and ably represented the party. Rahul Gandhi should have headed the party with conviction, dedication, and direction, as did his predecessors, instead he chose inherited snobbishness and lackadaisical approach. The rising parties were clever, they well knew the wealth of the Congress Party. They knew the smart leaders it had nurtured. They knew the talent treasure trove that exists in it. They knew the party was well structured in the principle of unity with political history. They used the media to discredit what is truly a legacy to uphold. The voters began to relate to a tea vendor opposed to the fact it was hard to rise to the standard of Nehru-Gandhis, the pedestrian was now hopeful of becoming powerful. The parties were fashioning a new social composition, the legacy inheritor Rahul Gandhi was languishing, while a party of talented men waited patiently. They lost.

The Mind of the Young Voters

Are the young voters in India going to remember the distant past when Dr Manmohan Singh was prime minister? It has been nine long years! Are they ever going to remember the eloquence of Tharoor? The esteemed lawyer Kapil Sybil, the capable Chidambaram? NO! The Congress Party must jog the memory of the citizens, with dedicated fieldwork at the grass root level and the urban youth. Viewers must see more of the Congress Party members on television, clearly stating their goals for the nation and more often. But that is not happening. The Congress Party karyakartas, need to engage with the youth in the rural and urban areas, keeping the Congress Party a part of their lives. But with the Uttar Pradesh election verdict, we must ask will the Congress resurrect itself? Or just keep fading?