Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde asserted on Sunday that the Congress party may face electoral defeats but remains steadfast in its core principles of equality and secularism. Speaking at a party event in Solapur, Maharashtra, Shinde reflected on the party’s resilience, citing its recovery after major setbacks in the 1974 post-Emergency period and the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, 2019, and 2024.

“The Congress has digested these defeats,” Shinde said, recalling the challenges following the 1975–77 Emergency under Indira Gandhi, when the party struggled to mobilize workers but eventually rebuilt itself through dedicated efforts. “We have not abandoned the stand of Congress from 50 years ago. We upheld equality for all religions and never focused on the caste system. Congress falls, rises again, but we do not change its principles,” he emphasized.

Shinde, a former Maharashtra Chief Minister, urged new party functionaries to work diligently, noting that the older generation, including himself, had largely seen better times despite occasional losses. He expressed confidence in the party’s revival, stating, “Congress will come back to power. We must set aside our differences.” Recent data shows Congress improved its Lok Sabha tally to 99 seats in 2024 from 52 in 2019, signaling a potential resurgence.

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Social media posts on X, including from @CongressVoice, echoed Shinde’s optimism, with users praising the party’s ideological consistency while calling for unity ahead of the 2025 Maharashtra assembly elections.

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