It is high time Congress underwent a makeover

The examination or observation of one's own mental and emotional processes is called introspection. Looking back on or dealing with past events or situations is called a retrospective. The Congress needs to do both at this point of time if it needs to survive.

No one would understand what prompted the party to decimate itself to a third position in the country (everywhere, more or less) and rebrand itself as 'the spirit of India'. One can remain the spirit or essence of something (including a country) but will never be in a position of power.

So, when the news comes that Sonia Gandhi is mulling a changeover, once again, in the leadership at the top, which in essence means that Rahul Gandhi would be brought back to replace the interim president, one wonders whether Rahul is ready for the job. Being interdependent - family depending on the party and the latter, depending on the family, is not a good thing. This means that instead of thriving on the strengths, both are wallowing in the weaknesses of each other.

It is time the party first realised that there is a new Congress in almost every State now. A Congress whose leadership has emerged from the groupism of the grand old party and which has well entrenched itself in those States. If it wants to rejoice and celebrate the defeat of the BJP in the hands of the other Congress or the other regional parties and keep handing over victory to the others in the name of 'sacrifice', it is most welcome to do so. Whether it changes its leadership or not, just does not matter to anyone. People have found their alternatives in the country to the BJP and it is certainly not the Congress.

Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh happened despite Rahul Gandhi's leadership. It was a miracle despite people's disenchantment with the ruling BJP over there. Both the States should have handed Rahul Gandhi a massive sweep. Even in Delhi, the call given to the voters to vote for AAP just to keep the BJP out, does not really make any sense.

If Rahul Gandhi were to rally hard and good, perhaps, the BJP would have got a dozen or so seats more. Even if it were to be a neck and neck race, the AAP would have come back to power. But the Congress leadership allowed the suicide.

The result is that it has lost deposits in several constituencies where Rahul and Priyanka held rallies and public meetings. Here lies the difference. Introspection is good as long as it is pragmatic and leads to action. If it is just the family exchanging the power (let us accept the fact that without the family, there is no party) a game of musical chairs, it will be of no good.

The old guard has to be retained only to pick up the young ones and train them in all the nuances. Keep the spirit aglow and do not make any concessions to others and lose your own ground. Go for a body makeover and not just for a body double (it does not really matter whether it is Sonia or Rahul).