Internal dissent, BJP juggernaut: Why upcoming polls are the biggest litmus test for Congress and Rahul Gandhi

If Congress manages to put up a decent show, then it will not only silence dissident voices but also give Rahul Gandhi room to manoeuvre and endorse his decisions.

Ahead of the crucial Assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory, the Congress is looking at an unprecedented situation. As it takes on the BJP juggernaut, sides with the Left in Bengal and against it in Kerala, faces dissidence from G-23 members, the question is whether Rahul Gandhi's attempts at renewing the political ground of the party in the south will bail out the Congress this time. Is the Grand Old Party looking towards a split or is it just rabble rousing by a faction? The question might not have arisen had Prime Minister Narendra Modi not hit a nerve of the Congress during the Parliament session. The emotional farewell to the outgoing Rajya Sabha Leader of the Opposition Gulam Nabi Azad acted as a catalyst to stir up the internal rebellion. Ironically, a few weeks ago, Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi had hosted a tea party at her residence in an attempt to rein in the rebellion.