Daijiworld Media Network - Gurugram

Gurugram, Jun 28: Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee, has criticised the Congress for relying excessively on electoral alliances instead of strengthening its organisational structure, while holding Rahul Gandhi accountable for the party's repeated electoral setbacks over the past decade.

In an interview, Mukherjee said the Congress leadership appeared more focused on forging alliances than on building a strong grassroots organisation capable of winning elections independently.

She argued that Rahul Gandhi, who has been the party's principal face since 2014, has failed to secure a decisive public mandate for the Congress despite leading its campaigns.

"Rahul Gandhi has been the face of the Congress since 2014, and the party has continued to lose elections during this period. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a mass leader whose popularity is reflected in the mandate he has received. Rahul Gandhi has not been able to bring a similar mandate to the Congress, and that is a failure on his part," she said.

Asked about the party's prospects in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, Mukherjee declined to make predictions but acknowledged that the Congress had improved its performance in the 2024 general elections by winning 99 seats.

She credited the Bharat Jodo Yatra with contributing positively to the party's electoral performance but questioned Rahul Gandhi's consistency in maintaining political engagement after the campaign.

According to Mukherjee, politics demands continuous public engagement rather than intermittent campaigns.

"Politics is a 24-hour, 365-day responsibility. You cannot appear for a few days, hold rallies and meetings, and then disappear. In my view, politics does not work that way," she said.

She further maintained that the Congress cannot expect to achieve electoral success solely through alliances and must instead concentrate on strengthening its organisational base across the country.

Recalling her own experience in the party, Mukherjee said the emphasis was often on coalition-building rather than developing the Congress as an independent political force.

"Even when I was with the Congress, the focus remained on winning elections through alliances rather than strengthening the organisation. There does not seem to be enough determination to win on the party's own strength," she remarked.

Mukherjee, however, declined to compare Rahul Gandhi with his sister and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

She said her interaction with both leaders had been limited during her time in the Congress and therefore she did not consider it appropriate to offer any comparison.

"My interactions with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were very limited because I was a junior leader in the party. Whatever I say about the Congress is as an observer, but I do not wish to compare the two," she added.