Uncertainty looms after setbacks

Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader

If there is one leader who should be the most disappointed with the election results on Sunday, it is Rahul Gandhi. The Congress may satisfy itself with the fact that the results have undermined the BJP’s goals — but this does not take away from the fact that the Congress lost Assam, Kerala (where history and the performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha was on its side) and Puducherry, was reduced to a non-entity in Bengal, and only won in Tamil Nadu as a junior partner of an alliance. This is bound to trigger greater uncertainty about the question of leadership in the party — where Rahul Gandhi is not officially president but has been in charge of all major decisions. The party is currently focused on critiquing the Centre for its Covid management, but at some point, now or in the future, voices of disquiet will once again emerge, challenging the continued dominance of the Nehru-Gandhi family and questioning its ability to revive the party’s electoral prospects.