Sat Nov 29 13:13:02 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text, followed by a rewritten version as a news article:
Summary:
The article argues that the Indian National Congress party is facing an existential crisis, teetering on the brink of political self-destruction (“harakiri”) due to internal factionalism, lack of cohesive direction, and significant electoral losses. It highlights power struggles within the party in states like Karnataka, Rajasthan, Haryana and Bihar, and criticizes the party’s inability to address these challenges and present a unified front. The author contends that the Congress’s greatest threat comes not from its political rivals, but from its internal divisions. The article questions whether the party can overcome these issues and reclaim its former position or if it is destined for irrelevance.
News Article:
Congress Party Facing Existential Crisis, Torn Apart by Internal Strife, Says Analyst
NEW DELHI – India’s once-dominant Congress party is spiraling towards irrelevance, plagued by internal squabbles and a lack of clear leadership, according to political analyst Ajit Kumar Jha in a recent commentary. Writing for NDTV, Jha argues that the party, a titan of Indian politics for decades, is exhibiting signs of self-destruction, a “political harakiri,” as he puts it.
The article points to ongoing power struggles in states like Karnataka, where Chief Minister Siddharamaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar are reportedly locked in a bitter rivalry, as a prime example of the party’s fractured state. Similar conflicts have plagued the party in Rajasthan (Gehlot and Pilot), Haryana (Hooda leadership struggle), and Kerala (Shashi Tharoor and KC Venugopal).
“The Congress doesn’t need the BJP to falter,” Jha writes, “It is indeed capable of inflicting wounds upon itself.” He argues that these internal divisions, coupled with significant electoral losses in key states like Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Bihar, are pushing the party towards oblivion. The Bihar election was particularly disastrous, with the party plummeting from 27 to 6 seats within ten years. Shakeel Ahmed resigned from the party stating paid people/congress karyakartas (party workers) attended the Rahul Gandhi’s rally rather than actual disenfranchised voters.
Despite attempts by Rahul Gandhi to rebrand the party with a more leftist agenda, Jha contends that the Congress lacks the cohesion and direction needed to effectively challenge its political rivals. He concludes by questioning whether the party can overcome its internal challenges and reclaim its former glory, or if it is doomed to fade into irrelevance, a victim of its own internal strife.
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