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As the sun sets on 2025 and the country gears up for several state polls in 2026, Congress will be put to test once again
With many allies being cynical about Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Chori’ campaign, the start is rocky and unsure. (PTI)
The year 2025 comes to an end with the Congress having celebrated its 140th Foundation Day. But unfortunately for the party, the foundations couldn’t have been shakier. As the party heads into 2026, there is a sense of fatigue, apprehension and confusion. The top leadership looks jaded and floundering for answers to several questions.
Why did Digvijaya Singh suddenly praise the RSS ahead of the CWC meeting? Why is there a sudden call for Priyanka Vadra? Is there a power play between the coteries of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra?
When things don’t look in control, the saying—as it goes—is that ants crawl out. In the Congress, multiple voices are now coming out. Not all are vocal but the simmering discontent is being echoed through various means.
SIBLING POWER PLAY
Like when Imran Masood, who is known to be close to Priyanka Vadra, said one has to make her the prime minister to solve problems. He may have clarified his remarks but many in the party don’t think his first comment was off the cuff. They feel it was measured and pushed by the Priyanka Vadra camp to test waters.
What has not been missed is the fact that during the Winter Session, Priyanka Vadra stole the show—with her speech on Vande Mataram, the gentle nudging of Union minister Nitin Gadkari to get her work done, and a tea party with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Speaker that Rahul Gandhi has normally been skipping. Not just this, unlike her brother, she makes it a point to be in Parliament early and usually stays till the end.
Those in the party yearning for a win see more hope in her than in Rahul Gandhi. It’s also a battle of the coteries. The group around Rahul Gandhi, which consists of Alankar Sawai, Kaushal Vidyarthi and K Raju, gathers its power and strength from the LoP. Hence, they would resist any encroachment into this power cocoon even if it comes from within—Priyanka Vadra herself.
Priyanka Vadra also had to give up on her aide Sandeep Singh, who was not liked by many in Rahul Gandhi’s office. The new appointee, Saral Patel, is seen as Camp RG. The fact is that Priyanka Vadra has been seen as a ‘Stepney’, who usually plays an important role when the LoP is away. She held the fort this time too when Rahul Gandhi was away in Berlin. When it comes to clearing the mess, like in Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, it was Priyanka Vadra who played the bad cop and stepped in to broker peace. Thus, her team, which includes Imran Masood and Imran Pratapgarhi, feels she needs to be given more. But, will the top brass let her?
GOING ALONE TO PLEASE RAHUL GANDHI?
Rahul Gandhi began his politics in 2004 with the idea that his mother’s coalition politics was outdated and would tie the hands of the Congress. However, he had to eat his words and accept the ordinance that allowed convicted leaders to contest—an ordinance brought in to please Lalu Yadav.
Since then, when Rahul Gandhi took charge, the Congress has been a story of flip-flops on the alliance. When the INDIA bloc was formed, the idea was that Congress must lead it. But with a poor electoral report card, this was not possible and met strong resistance from many bloc members like Mamata Banerjee and Samajwadi Party.
A drubbing in Bihar has brought out the cracks in the bloc. The Congress’ resistance to announce Tejashwi Yadav as chief ministerial face and downplay the manifesto release by picking Pawan Khera to release it, has added to the long list of allies who are upset with the party.
The latest to join the bandwagon is the DMK, which is angry with Rahul Gandhi and his coterie wooing TVK and its chief Vijay. When Congress’ research department head Praveen Chakravarthy criticised the Tamil Nadu government for its debt, it was not without a nudge from the top. Some in Tamil Nadu Congress feel the party can afford to take the risk and put pressure on the DMK to give more seats. However, it’s also a fact that minus the DMK, many leaders see a faint chance of coming to power in the state. This is why leaders such as Jyothimani disagreed with Praveen’s comment on the debt issue.
It’s this rush to please Rahul Gandhi and yet indulge in political realities that has caught the party in a bind.
And as sun sets on 2025 and the country gears up for several state polls in 2026, Congress will be put to test once again. With many allies being cynical about Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Chori’ campaign, the start is rocky and unsure.
Some Congress leaders put it succinctly: “We can’t even wish each other happy new year as we don’t know what it holds.”
December 30, 2025, 14:00 IST
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