Srinagar, Oct 14, KNT: Once considered a formidable political force in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress party is now facing what insiders describe as its “worst existential crisis” in decades. Once vibrant and people-centric, the party today appears fractured, disconnected from its base, and dependent on allies to stay afloat, a situation that many loyalists liken to a “sinking Titanic.”
In Jammu, the Congress has already been wiped out, with its influence reduced to a symbolic presence. In Kashmir, once a bastion of committed workers and strong local leadership, support is steadily eroding. Party insiders say the leadership’s failure to adapt to ground realities, coupled with growing centralization of decision-making, has driven many dedicated workers into political hibernation or straight into the arms of rival parties.
“The doors of the party headquarters are virtually shut for those who work on the ground,” a senior Congress leader told the news agency Kashmir News Trust, requesting anonymity. “Only a select few are seen making decisions, while the real workers are ignored, humiliated, and made to feel irrelevant. This is not the Congress of the people anymore.”
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A decade ago, the Congress party enjoyed a robust presence across both regions of the Union Territory. Today, however, it survives only with external support. “Congress has now become a ‘Baisakhi’, it can only stand with the help of others,” another long-time worker lamented, referring to the party’s increasing dependence on the National Conference.
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The recent developments surrounding Rajya Sabha seat allocations laid bare the fragile alliance between the two parties. Despite the Congress’s expectations, the NC did not concede even a single seat to its supposed partner. “The National Conference was never serious about an alliance,” a senior Congress figure admitted. “Their leadership was clear about contesting alone, but our local leaders misled Rahul Gandhi. It was embarrassing to see that during his visit to Srinagar, not a single senior NC leader came to meet him at his hotel.”
That incident, insiders say, exposed the Congress’s waning relevance and the growing perception that the party no longer holds political weight in Jammu and Kashmir. Even the workers who once proudly represented the Congress at the grassroots now feel alienated and directionless.
“The party needs complete revamping,” said the leader. “Unless there is a major change in leadership style and policy direction, the Congress will keep shrinking. The cadre must feel respected and empowered again, otherwise there will be nothing left to rebuild.”
A couple of party leaders point out that while other national and regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir have evolved to address shifting ground sentiments, the Congress has remained stuck in old patterns of patronage and central control. Party leaders, they argue, have lost touch with both the people and their own workers. [KNT]
