Kharge’s dealing with G23 members will reflect his true standing in Congress — and among Gandhis

In the midst of a significant change of guards in the grand old party, the impact of a group of dissenters, aka G23, in the goings-on of the Congress has missed any credible acknowledgment of it acting as “Democracy’s David”.

The G23 had shot to fame on 15 August 2020 when an explosive letter, questioning Sonia and Rahul Gandhi’s style of functioning, made its way to The Indian Express. It was signed by 23 worthies, mostly big-time Congress leaders who had served as senior ministers in the Dr Manmohan Singh government. Apart from the rebellious tone and tenor, considered blasphemous in the Congress’ durbar culture, the dissenters had raised three key points — need for a non-Gandhi leader as the Congress president, demand for an introspection session, and call for democratisation of the decision-making apparatus, i.e., the Congress Working Committee.

In the subsequent battle of attrition, desertions from the Congress and divisions within the G23 ranks, the dissenters did manage to get two of the three goals achieved. Mallikarjun Kharge is now the non-Gandhi AICC chief; Udaipur hosted the brain-storming session; and, the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) polls are very much on the cards, after a gap of over 25 years. Yet, there is no glory directed at the now truncated G23. Rather, they continue to be a subject of either ridicule or overlook.

The G23 grouping is partially responsible for its sorry state of affairs. From the beginning, G23 was an assortment of disgruntled leaders, rebels and fence sitters. It was a curious mix of former Union ministers, AICC office bearers and other notables who wanted a seat on the high table in the Congress. Their quest for a bigger role inside the Congress Parivar remains in the realm of possibility, particularly after extending support to Kharge. In fact, it is Kharge’s turn to return the favour.

G23 also had those who were looking at the other political parties such as the BJP and the Samajwadi Party as their next destination or to float their own outfits. Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal, who informally had assumed G23 leadership roles, chose to do exactly the same. RPN Singh and Jitendra Prasada who were credited with leaning on G23, too joined the BJP bandwagon.

Mukul Wasnik, a senior AICC functionary and former Union minister, was also part of G23. Initially, he was seen as Gandhis’ or the high command’s “mole” in G23. Wasnik has been out and out an organisational man who has been close to successive party presidents from Rajiv Gandhi to PV Narasimha Rao, Sitaram Kesri, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Therefore, his presence in G23 was always a bit eerie. The stature and importance of Wasnik can be gauged from the fact that twice, i.e. in August 2019 (When Sonia assumed role of the AICC’s interim chief) and in September 2022 (when Kharge was chosen as quasi-official party candidate) Wasnik was a serious and credible candidate to take the mantle of party leadership. His presence is therefore seen as a ‘reality check’ for Kharge.

Now that the 88^th AICC president has taken over, what is the road ahead for G23 protagonists? Anand Sharma, Prithviraj Chavan, Manish Tewari and others hope for a meaty role in the party affairs. Together, they have formidable amounts of experience, having served as former Union ministers, chief minister, AICC functionaries, etc. Apart from angling for CWC berths, these leaders and individuals have an ability to act as central observers, a mould Kharge had played in Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttrakhand, etc. These leaders have a requisite heft to deal with the likes of Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel, DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, Kamal Nath and other regional satraps.

The question is whether Kharge would utilise their services? Party insiders and old timers say that Kharge’s dealing with the G23 members would indicate whether Gandhis acknowledge their role in ‘democratising’ the grand old party. It would also be a reflection of Kharge’s ability to act as per his political instincts.

Most importantly, any accommodation of G23 characters would mark the end of hostilities between Team Rahul Gandhi and them. It is an open secret that much of the G23 disappointment was with prominence of larger-than-calibre role accorded to the likes of KC Venugopal, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ajay Makan and others. If Kharge acts as conciliator or manages to strike a balance among various factions within the grand old party, its regional satraps and other stakeholders, G23 leaders would draw considerable satisfaction from their unusual, aching and protracted battle as worth their efforts. Having been deeply seeped into the Congress culture, ideology and traditions, questioning the leadership has taken an emotional toll on them. One of the G23 members leaned on Albert Einstein to reflect wistfully: “If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity.”

The reviewer is a Visiting Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation. A well-known political analyst, he has written several books, including ‘24 Akbar Road’ and ‘Sonia: A Biography’. Views expressed are personal.

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