Sonia Gandhi is back. Yet again. What the so-called G23 rebels have managed to do for a start is to ensure that the ‘interim’ Congress chief comes out of her self-imposed hibernation and takes full charge again.
There are several indications to show that Sonia Gandhi wants to send out a clear message that she is very much in control of the party. For instance, unlike when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power, and even until recently, it’s not Rahul Gandhi but Sonia Gandhi who is now taking up issues inside Parliament. She has spoken twice within a few days. First on the alleged misuse of Facebook and other social media by the BJP for political and electoral gains. Then, she spoke out on the need for proper nutrition for schoolchildren.
But beyond this, several recent decisions and meetings have her mark. Asking for the resignation of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs of the five states where the party lost elections, and not just of Navjot Singh Sidhu in Punjab as many had thought. This is true to Sonia’s style as she, unlike her children, is not staccato in her decisions but wants to send a message of being someone who is good at fine balancing acts. Also, without mincing words, she told party MP Shashi Tharoor that he cannot attend a seminar on an invitation from the Communist Party of India (Marxist). This is particularly important as her son Rahul Gandhi is an MP from Kerala and the Left is the main adversary there.
Also, Sonia Gandhi has been meeting members of the so-called Group of 23 dissenters or G23 in batches, hearing them out, and trying to find a way to ensure the party doesn’t split.
Most of the G23 members when spoken to privately say it is difficult for them to speak to Rahul Gandhi and it’s easier for them to accept the leadership of Sonia Gandhi. There have been past instances of the Congress party not doing well well in elections and Sonia has taken charge. This time round she understands more than her children that the situation is such that the core of the party could split and lead to an exodus. And if she wants to eventually hand over the reins of the party to her children, a fragmented, divided Congress will not be the ideal product. Before taking that step, she has to defuse the situation for the sake of her children if not the party.
But beyond that, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are close. And the challenges are growing for the Congress with the emergence of possible alternatives like the Aam Aadmi Party. Though Sonia Gandhi would still be more acceptable to the opposition leaders, many who were by her side earlier are turning into contenders, like KCR and even Mamata Banerjee.
Sonia Gandhi‘s entry into politics after a long period of reluctance following the assassination of her husband Rajiv Gandhi was explained by her in a candid moment as, “I cannot be seen as standing quietly while my party is breaking up.” There have been several such moments since for Sonia Gandhi where she has stepped in briefly but withdrawn again for the sake of her children. But this time the Congress faces a similar crisis if not a bigger one as it did when Sitaram Kesri was the party chief. Back then, there was a robust team backing Sonia Gandhi. This time, there are very few strong Congress leaders by her side with a number of defections. Many leaders are disgruntled and have no idea whom to align with
The biggest problem for Congress and Sonia Gandhi is the fact that this time round the competition to her and her crew comes from within. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have their own coterie, their own group of lawyers, who often do not work in tandem with Sonia and her loyalists. In fact, the state of the Congress is perhaps best explained as three different Gandhis pulling it in three different directions.
The task is cut out for Sonia Gandhi. Firstly, she has to ensure that members of the G23 remain a part of the Congress and, therefore, she may have to placate them by finding appropriate positions for them. Secondly, more state elections are coming up later this year, and she has to ensure that the anger against the Gandhis does not build up. For that, it is Sonia Gandhi alone who perhaps can reach out to both the G23 and the rest of the loyalists of the Congress. Thirdly, with important elections like Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh coming up, Sonia Gandhi would be ready to take the blame in case the party does not do well rather than pass it on to her children.
Sources say that while Rahul remains reluctant to take charge of the party formally, the Gandhis, especially Sonia, wouldn’t want the family to lose its grip on a party that is at its lowest. Sonia alone, for now, remains the person who can ensure the continuity of the Gandhis.
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