During the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Congress party, for the second consecutive time, failed to win enough seats to be the official opposition party. A huge embarrassment for the part, considering it has ruled the country for more than a half century.

The Congress managed to win only 44 seats in 2014 and and 52 seats in 2019, out out of 543. This, coupled with Rahul Gandhi adamance to step down, means that the morale of the party workers throughout the country has touched a new low.

Many critics including Gandhi himself believe that it is about time the party look beyond the Gandhi family and appoint someone who has a strong command across the party cadre and the potential to revive it.

As the fate of the Indian National Congress hangs in balance, let’s take a look at a few top leaders who are in the fray for the top job.

Ashok Gehlot

Ashok Gehlot, born in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, rose through the ranks of state president of National Student’s Union of India (NSUI) in 1974 to become the 12th Chief Minister of Rajasthan in 1998. Currently, Ghelot is serving his third term as Chief Minister of Rajasthan.

Gehlot is seen as close to Sonia Gandhi’s confidant Ahmed Patel along with being in good terms with regional leaders such as Captain Amarinder Singh, Kamal Nath and Ashok Chavan.

Gehlot has acceptability across the party cadre. He is among the very few, who can be trusted for holding the topmost position in the Congress party.

Mallikarjun Kharge

Mallikarjun Kharge, born in Bidar district of Karnataka, rose from being appointed as Gulbarga City Congress Committee President in 1969 to the ranks of Karnataka State Congress Committee President in 2005.

Kharge, after winning 2009 general elections from Gulbarga Parliamentary Constituency, held the post of Union Cabinet Minister in the UPA-2 government.

Until the 2019 general election, Kharge had won 10 consecutive elections. However, Kharge’s winning stride was stalled by BJP leader Umesh. G. Jadhav, who, under the Modi wave, defeated Mallikarjun Kharge by a margin of 95,452 votes.

Currently, Mallikarjun Kharge is one of the most prominent faces in the Congress party.

Prithviraj Chavan

Prithviraj Chavan started his political career in 1991 when his name was proposed as the Congress nominee by Hindurao Sakharam Jagtap, President of Karad Taluka Youth Congress Committee. Chavan’s name was proposed as the party nominee, in place of his late mother.

Since 1957, Karad Lok Sabha had been a stronghold of Karad family. First by Chavan’s father, Dajisaheb Chavan, from 1957 until he died in 1973. After Dajisaheb’s death, the seat was contested and won by his wife Premalakaki Chavan, from 1973 until her death in 1991.

Prithviraj Chavan continued the family legacy by winning election from the Karad constituency for three consecutive times; in 1991, 1996 and 1998. He lost to Shriniwas Patil of Nationalist Congress Party during 1999 general elections.

Sushilkumar Shinde

Sushilkumar Shinde, born in Solapur, Maharashtra, became a member of the Congress party in 1971. He contested and won the Maharashtra state assembly elections for five consecutive terms – from 1974 – 1992. So far Shinde has seven Legislative Assembly election and three Lok Sabha election win in his kitty. He won Lok Sabha election in 1992, 1999 and 2009.

Shinde, who served as the chief minister of Maharashtra from 2003 to 2004, has held the key post of Home Minister and Power Minister of India in the UPA-1 and UPA-2 government.

Mukul Wasnik

Mukul Wasnik was appointed as Treasurer, National Students’ Union of India (N.S.U.I.) in 1984, rose through the ranks to become All India Congress Committee General Secretary in 2009.

In 1984, Wasnik was elected to the Lok Sabha from Buldhana constituency. Since then he won Lok Sabha election three more times; in 1991, 1998 and  2009.

During the UPA-2 government in 2009, he served as the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment.

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