The historians have noted existence of small republics in India long before it came to rule minds in the Roman land. India was not a politics bound empire or even a nation till it gained political freedom in 1947. The alien rules for 750 years before she gained the political freedom, could sustain and survive with no challenge from within. An American authoress noted India was the land with sacred towns connecting wide variety of cultures.

Mahatma Gandhi did not go in details while coaching Indira Gandhi with few lessons in the political arena. Her lack of knowing the basic traits of Indians had its impact after she decided to fight her battles for survival in the political mind. She lost war though she did gain in her first political battle in 1971 to eliminate her bête noir, the four old rightists commanding the party apparatus. After her victory she systematically changed the party structure and did not care the least when self respecting minds parted from her company. In her mistaken belief that the 1971 victory attained her direct access to voters and she did not need middle men to mobilize masses to vote her to power she reduced her party to be her personal estate. Her family lived in the power arena in similar belief like her son Rajiv Gandhi. He was given the power seat with largest number ever. But it did not give him the much needed political wisdom or ability to evaluate his words. Otherwise he would not, as no party chief would, condemn his edifice as the den of power brokers as the Congress president he did in his presidential address as the centenary session at Mumbai in December 1985. His support base number was reduced to half after his term in office. He did break his solemn promise to the President of India in a belief that masses wanted to return the crown to the Indira Gandhi family.

His widow was encouraged to believe the Indians wanted her family back. She led her party to first disaster in the 1999 election with numbers in the Lok Sabha reduced to less than one third of its gain in 1971 or 40 less than in the 1977 elections that had given first evidence of the maturity and courage of Indian voters. She had fought the polls to regain authority for the family estate. She did gain 33 seats more after five years. She could not restore the original strength. Defeat of the Vajpayee regime was due to suspicion or fear of the end of democracy under the Advani rule.

Instead of restoring the strength to party units she blamed state leaders and their weakness for defeat in state after state polls. Sonia Gandhi was installed as the party chief in 1998 October and continued holding the office for two decades longest ever term since 1885 when the party was formed. All decision making bodies at every level in the party have been eliminated to ensure power in the party to remain in her hands. Even after the party was reduced to ever lowest numbers in legislative bodies’ elections, she did not deign it necessary to encourage free and honest debate to understand causes of defeats.

Indira Gandhi was anguished after defeat of her party in the state polls in Andhra and Karnataka in 1983, more particularly after her gaining majority in both states in 1971, 1977 and 1980 elections. The Sonia Gandhi move in the succession struggle in Andhra after demise of the Andhra chief minister Raj Shekhar Reddy brought end of not only congress rule but also of the party. Similarly her leadership has driven Punjab to defeat as the chief minister Amarinder Singh was driven to quit by two children of Sonia Gandhi to satisfy a non political entity like a cricket player Navjot Siddhu. The family could not see his personal ambitions that rejected choice of successor chief minister.

The Congress position was slated to win the state after collapse of the coalition of the Akali Dal and the BJP on the controversial three new farm laws. Not only grain growers were agitated but rural voters as well were turned against the political combine. But two children of Sonia Gandhi were irritated by the independence mind of and attitude by the chief minister that they met the rebel without base who had rushed to Delhi to ensure his elevation was surprised by reception from two members of the family. Appointment of Chhani to replace Amrinder Singh as chief minister surprised him. He continued his rebellion. The game came to Amarinder Singh with high hopes of cornering rural votes and leaving grounds open for the alliance partner BJP to mop up the urban votes. he family has botched up to create situation leading to the defeat

The Gandhi family has yet not responded to the raised voice of 23 party seniors. As no one is willing to accept as the party chief in shadows of the Gandhi family, it is additional burden for the family to retain its hold, the ball remains in the Gandhi court yard. As the party is in no position even to be the main opposition in Uttar Pradesh, the defeat in Punjab may entail heavier cost including the third state Uttara Khand.