Praveen Chakravarty, Chairman, Professionals' Wing and Data Analytics, Congress
Praveen Chakravarty, Chairman, Professionals' Wing and Data Analytics, Congress(Pic: P Jawahar)

Congress to Build on ‘Politics of Aspiration’

“Cronyism is the opposite of aspiration. If private investment has struggled over the past decade, it is due to cronyism,” Chakravarty argued.
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The Congress party must focus on a narrative of “politics of aspiration” to appeal to the youth and middle class, said Praveen Chakravarty, Chairman of the Professionals’ Wing and Data Analytics for the Congress party, at the 13th edition of the ThinkEdu Conclave 2025 on 27 January.

Interacting with Santwana Bhattacharya, Editor of The New Indian Express on the topic “Looking Forward: Future of the Congress,” he shed light on the Congress party’s 140-year legacy, need for structural reforms, its electoral performance and alliance strategy.

Praising Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, he said he would like to believe that the “white t-shirt” symbolised the politics of aspiration apart from the politics of love and justice. Highlighting a sharp rise in stock market investors under the age of 30—from five lakh in 2013 to four crore today—he pointed to this growth as indicative of aspirations among the youth, even amidst challenges like unemployment.

“The message we need to convey is that we stand for aspiration. It is okay to chase wealth fairly and cleanly. This is the narrative that the Professionals’ Congress has been tasked with developing and delivering to the middle class,” he said.

Addressing the seeming contradiction between the Congress critiquing big businesses while appealing to aspirational youth, Chakravarty distinguished between businesses and cronyism. “Cronyism is the opposite of aspiration. If private investment has struggled over the past decade, it is due to cronyism,” he argued.

Electoral Performance of Congress

He highlighted the Congress’s performance in Haryana, where it won 33 out of 65 rural seats but only eight of 25 urban seats, stressing the importance of aspirational politics in gaining urban traction. Discussing Maharashtra elections, he cited discrepancies in voter lists and warned against drawing broad conclusions from those results.

Defending Congress party’s allegations of tampering with EVMs, he said that even surveys indicate that the public confidence in EVMs is at an all-time low.

When asked about contesting elections alone in Delhi, he emphasised balancing alliances with strengthening the party’s base. He dismissed claims that Sheila Dikshit’s legacy was ignored in the Delhi elections.

Need for Systematic Overhaul

On leadership dynamics within the Congress, Chakravarty admitted the need for a systematic overhaul. “Contrary to what’s being projected, I would argue there are too many systems and processes in place. An overhaul is necessary,” he admitted, adding that the party is in search of a new look.

Chakravarty underscored that the Congress is uniquely positioned to unite and govern the country effectively. However, he acknowledged the party’s struggle to adapt to India’s evolving needs.

“We need a fresh narrative, strategy, and leadership. By 2029, 60-70% of voters will have started understanding politics only after 2009. While our strength is our understanding of the country, our negative is that we are old,” he said. 

Policy Advocacy for Economic Growth

He pointed out that the current government has implemented several major policies originally proposed in the Congress manifesto. He advocated for labour-market-oriented politics, rationalising GST and reducing import duties to support domestic industries.

“Apparel manufacturers in Coimbatore and Tiruppur are losing out to Bangladesh and Vietnam due to our import duty structures. Increase in export of apparel from Coimbatore and Tiruppur means employment for women and unskilled labour,” he said.

He suggested that, in addition to rationalising GST, assuring the salaried class of no income tax increases for the next four years could help boost public consumption.

He also called for unanimity and consensus in economic and foreign policy. Criticising the government, he said, “Our concern is that it doesn’t consult or discuss policies,” questioning when the last all-party meeting on foreign policy was held. 

On countering the Hindutva narrative, he argued that the version of Hinduism being propagated is not the true one and affirmed the Congress’s ideological opposition to it.

Responding to claims of playing second fiddle to the DMK, he said that there is a clear pressure, demand and aspiration to build their base and become stronger in Tamil Nadu. He also emphasised the significance of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and Rahul Gandhi’s role in the Lok Sabha elections, stating that even DMK cadres recognized their impact. 

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