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NEW DELHI: Congress MP Imran Masood’s statement that Priyanka Gandhi should be the Prime Minister has largely exposed the ongoing power struggle within the Congress party. Although, after being reprimanded, Masood attempted to salvage his position by acknowledging Rahul Gandhi—the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha—as his leader, his remarks further fuelled the leadership debate within the party. Being a close associate of Priyanka Gandhi, he was spared any disciplinary action, but he is now under scrutiny.
A week before this incident, former Odisha MLA Mohammad Muqeem’s advocacy for handing over the reins to Priyanka Gandhi proved costly, as the party immediately expelled him. Muqeem had stirred controversy by questioning Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a letter. He suggested bringing forward leaders such as Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, party general secretary Sachin Pilot, MP Shashi Tharoor, and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. He also suggested to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi that Priyanka Gandhi should be given command of the party.
In the letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi, Muqeem held the current leadership responsible for the party’s recent electoral defeats in various states. As his statement gained traction, the party acted swiftly and expelled him to prevent the emergence of any disgruntled faction. Notably, the leaders mentioned by Muqeem as potential successors are widely considered close to Priyanka Gandhi.
There is a growing perception within the party that two factions have emerged—one led by Rahul Gandhi and the other by Priyanka Gandhi. Priyanka Gandhi is slowly but steadily trying to carve out her own political identity. She completely dominated the Winter Session of Parliament. Impressed by her performance, Imran Masood, in a moment of enthusiasm, spoke about her leadership, only to find himself in trouble. The BJP seized the opportunity to question Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.
It was, in fact, Priyanka Gandhi who facilitated Imran Masood’s return to the Congress party. He is considered close to her and has often made statements in her favour. Consequently, no action was taken against him; he was merely issued a warning. Sachin Pilot is also regarded as being close to Priyanka Gandhi. Despite incidents such as attempting to bring down his own government in Rajasthan in 2020 and staging a protest against the Congress government in 2023, Priyanka defended him and ensured that he was given a party position, appointing him as the in-charge of Chhattisgarh.
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is also considered part of Priyanka Gandhi’s faction. During his five-year tenure as Chief Minister, he maintained a close association with her. He also travelled with her while serving as the party’s in-charge for Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. However, he is currently facing serious trouble, as his son has been implicated in the Mahadev app scam. The Congress party’s situation in Chhattisgarh is precarious, and the potential fallout from the scam remains a matter of concern.
Priyanka Gandhi has certainly groomed leaders at the state level, but none have achieved sustained success. In Punjab, Navjot Singh Sidhu has been sidelined. His wife, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, was expelled from the party following a controversial statement. She has since levelled serious allegations against party general secretary Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. The party is also deeply divided into factions in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while the situation in Himachal Pradesh is well known.
Although everything may appear stable on the surface, the Congress party is far from united. Rahul Gandhi is currently attempting to ensure that factionalism does not become visible, but party leaders themselves continue to expose internal divisions. Priyanka Gandhi is also reportedly unhappy with her position within the party. She had aspired to become the party president during the national presidential elections, but the leadership was unwilling. Subsequently, she became a Member of Parliament, yet she remains dissatisfied with not being accorded the number two position in the party. Sources suggest that she is eyeing the post of working president or general secretary of the organisation.
Such a situation is not in the party’s best interest, especially when elections are due in nearly a dozen states ahead of the next Lok Sabha polls, which will shape the foundation for the 2029 general elections. Winning state elections has already become a major challenge for the Congress, and any internal power struggle at this juncture could further weaken the party.
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