More excerpts of my Blog post - link: https://wp.me/p8Fpl7-7D 

Dissidence damaged Congress:

None of the senior leaders who left Congress could play a significant role at the national level. They continued to be regional satraps, group leaders, and power brokers.
/1

‘Everyone rises in the hierarchy until they reach a level of respective incompetence.’ (Peter Principle)

Congress leaders despite getting experience in governing and using their talents, have failed to become mass leaders taking root to the ground.
/2

They have neither helped people to raise nor imparted their experience and talents to them.

Their shortsighted approach not only damaged the Congress but also foiled the emergence of true leaders outside the Gandhi family with mass following and countrywide acceptance.
/3

Instead, they made Congress an open tent without gates and security for anyone from anywhere to enter at will, grow with it, and leave it choosing their own time, if and when they see greener pastures elsewhere.
/4

They form groups during their stay, herd them together while leaving to set up their own shop with stolen property.

They then continue with power bargaining even with their parent Congress for a higher share in alliance.
/5

So their job is the same whether they are inside the Congress or outside it. This process led to Congress losing its base.

Gandhi’s family is too good, soft, considerate, hearty with so much love for their country, people, and fellow Congressmen to initiate hard measures.
/6

It takes a long time. It is also a fact that Indira and Rajiv did not have the luxury of settling down to set right these organizational failures. Sonia has her own difficulties in dealing with them.
7/7