"Only Gandhis can hold INC together." is a statement often thrown around, repeated saying of which, is expected to validate its own assertion.

To analyse this question a bit impartially, first you have to ask whether INC has held itself together. 1/n

Let's start from 1997, when Mrs Gandhi came into active politics. A split happened around the same time.

1. In 1998, Mamata Banerjee, a congress leader, split from the party and made Trinamul Congress. She governs West Bengal now. Marginal presence of INC in the state now.

2. In 1999, Sharad Pawar split from INC specifically due to the rift with Mrs Gandhi and made NCP.

NCP is a major political party on its own right in Maharashtra now.

3. In 2010, Jaganmohan Reddy split with INC and made YSR congress.

He governs Andhra Pradesh today and INC has marginal presence in the state.

4. In 2015, Himanta Biswa Sarma left INC to join BJP. He played a key role in ensuring a BJP victory in Assam.

The reasons for his rift, he has made amply clear multiple times.

5. In 2020, Jyotiraditya Scindia broke away from INC and joined BJP. Which made an elected Government in Maadhya Pradesh to fall and one more state to go away from INC.

In 2019, almost an entire Goa state MLAs from INC broke away from INC and joined BJP.

From the largest party in the state as per people's mandate to almost a nothing in the state.

In 2016, 43 of INC MLAs in Arunachal broke away from the party and joined BJP.

Thus making a BJP Government in the state.

In 2019, 10 MLAs of Karnataka INC broke away and joined BJP, causing the Government in Karnataka to fall.

This is a list that can go on and on. But let me stop.

It is up to the concerned party to decide who should be its leader and who should be not. It is their business.

But when a statement becomes a sentiment, its accuracy is certainly something to be commented on.