The grand old party of India, Congress, is facing several challenges in more than one state. On one hand, the party high command has to deal with the tussle over the Karnataka chief minister’s post between CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar. On the other hand, the exit of former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah over alleged “humiliation” has added to its troubles.
Borah’s surprising exit from the party and his formal joining of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) not only marks a major political shift ahead of the crucial elections in Assam, but has also set political circles abuzz, raising questions over Congress’s failure to take effective action to pacify its veteran leaders.
In several states, Congress has been reduced to the margins, marred by internal disputes and a lack of trust among its allies.
According to an IANS report, amid the above-mentioned issues, the party high command has failed to rise to the occasion and retain the trust of senior leaders, apparently because of its “inertia and latency” in decision-making, leading to its persistent decline.
Past five years of Congress
Over the past five years, several instances point to Congress’s setbacks under the party high command, including the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. The party has not only delivered poor performances in state elections, but has also witnessed disagreements and spats within its state units.
The issues appear to stem from a failure to address internal differences and to prevent disgruntled leaders from jumping ship.
Karnataka CM tussle
The Siddaramaiah–Shivakumar power tussle in Karnataka is one of the most visible episodes of internal discord, yet the Congress high command has failed to broker peace between the two factions.
Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with Shivakumar also did not yield anything substantial. According to IANS, reports suggest the “rebellion” is far from over.
Other issues within the party
Here are a few instances in which the Congress top brass failed to steer the ship, instead leaving state units to deal with the situations on their own:
In Himachal Pradesh, two factions led by Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Pratibha Singh engaged in an organisational battle over the state party president’s post in 2025, even holding several meetings in Delhi to reach a deal. The party dissolved its state unit, triggering a scramble for the top post, with the leadership even considering a formula of one state president and four working presidents to balance factions.
In Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), the party’s clout remains in shambles and appears beyond repair:
a) Despite being out of power in the national capital for 15 years, after ruling for more than a decade, a united face continues to elude the party.
b) In Haryana, Congress had a golden opportunity in 2024 to overthrow the BJP government, but internal rivalry doomed its chances of revival.
Uttar Pradesh also reflects the party’s weak state-level condition. Congress reportedly dissolved its state unit in 2024 and largely remains non-existent.
The latest example is Assam, where Borah resigned just ahead of the crucial elections, citing “insult and ignorance” by the top leadership before switching to the BJP.
In poll-bound West Bengal, the party has been relegated to the margins by its own regional ally, the Trinamool Congress.
In the 2025 Jharkhand Assembly elections, the party fought alongside Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), but the alliance soured, with the regional partner accusing Congress of betrayal, as per IANS.
The most recent example of poor electoral performance came in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) mounted a visibly strong campaign, but as results favoured the incumbent government, the grand old party was seen as a liability rather than an asset.
In Odisha, the PCC remains affected by the exit of key leaders.
In Gujarat, the party has failed to challenge the BJP’s more than two-decade-long dominance.
In Maharashtra, the party’s strength and presence have withered over time due to the exit of veterans and high-profile leaders.
Tamil Nadu, another state headed for elections this year, is preparing for a fierce contest involving the BJP.
Congress’ continued electoral setbacks and internal discord across multiple states show a widening gap within the party, which could be fuelling concerns and doubts among allies ahead of key state elections.
(with IANS inputs)
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
