Overview

• Prominent second-generation figures like Milind Deora, Satyajit Deshmukh, Sangram Thopte and Archana Patil have shifted to rival parties or quit politics in recent weeks.
• Loyalist families complain that defectors receive rapid promotions while long-standing members face poor candidate selections.
• Party organisers are debating reforms to feedback mechanisms, candidate choice and incentive structures ahead of local body polls.
• Working president Naseem Khan maintains that a committed cadre and voter base persist despite ongoing departures.
• Analysts warn that the continued erosion of family-based loyalty threatens the Congress’s leadership pipeline in key municipal and district councils.