Only time will tell the true answer, but the recent history of the Congress may help to come closer to the answer. Sonia Gandhi has been the Congress president for two decades without generating a single brilliant idea. She adopted a way of luring less fortunate with promise of huge charity. Though her promise in 2014 failed miserably she did not or could not caution her son from adopting a similar path of huge charity in the 2019 polls and failed though the existing regime had grossly failed to deliver on its promises or achieve otherwise in any sector. On the contrary it could not maintain even earlier pace of economic development.

Apparently she or her family could comprehend the party history or learn from the caution sounded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1918 at Lucknow conclave of the party. Speaking for the first time in the party conclave and before he got named as Mahatma, Mohandas Gandhi had warned mere resolutions were not enough to arouse people to action. In the last two decades the party leadership has not come up with a single brilliant idea nor has it taken the blame for failures. It found convenience in blaming the state units and the weak state leaders for defeats overlooking the state units were loaded by leaders through appointments by the party chief.

Indira Gandhi had converted the party into her own estate to ensure no challenge to her leadership and Sonia Gandhi adopted the similar method overlooking the drastic changes in society with dominance gained by third and more literate generation.

Two generations later the freedom struggle and sacrifices by the party men for freedom are merely pages of history and not living memory like bit was for their grandparents. Young generation has no interest in reading it as it is more worried about jobs to retain for those who have and for the struggling majority to have one. The words that young party leaders utter now are for giving vent to their frustration. Mere criticism of the people in seats does not inspire masses to turn. They need to be shown examples of what is gone wrong due to actions of present lot with power seats. They need to be pointed out how priorities adopted by the present power are different and totally mistaken. Need is not to erase symbols of the previous regimes or build more comfortable residences or huge statues. Homage to old but ignored personalities can be paid by emulating their life missions.

Indians had voted in the 2014 polls for a rapid economic growth and not for new buildings or statues or temples. Now the economy is reeling far behind the growth pace given by the previous regime as consequence to infightings within the ruling power group. Not only masses remain unaware but opponents also remaining ignorant or silent. Action within the party is limited to cutting its own base rather than annihilating opponents or to be more precise on retaining the estate without actions to consolidate whatever is left. Sonia Gandhi cannot seek public action to retain her estate including succession of her son to the throne.

After my previous essay one publisher friend asked me to write on what the party should do now and another friend was optimistic that things would work out soon. I can point out only that I am not in politics nor have family in politics to know what the young generation needs. To optimist friend I can tell the struggle to get son in the throne cannot work out unless you have ability more than merely making pasta. The party is unable to find another capable hand and mind to shoulder the responsibility of the party tells much of the prevailing conditions of the party. Everyone treats it as a private estate. The party performance in the current spell of the state elections will elaborate it.