The Congress is now the party in waiting. It is waiting to become the party in power in New Delhi. For the Congress, as it should be for most political parties in a democratic polity, the scent of power is the ultimate driving force. This is particularly true under the present circumstances because the Congress has been starved of power since 1996. After that, the oldest political party in India, considered for a long time to be India's natural party of governance, was out in the political wilderness. That it is on the road back is explained by two things. One individual and the other conjunctural. The Congress president, Ms Sonia Gandhi, after a hesitant start, has been able to give to the party, as the session of the All India Congress Committee demonstrated, a semblance of discipline and a boost of confidence. The exact process through which Ms Gandhi achieved this is not clear but her imprint is now writ large on the present and the future of the Congress. Her quiet but stern presence and somewhat enigmatic personality have convinced her partymen that she cannot be taken lightly. Under her leadership the party has once again begun to win elections and rule the states. This success is related to what Ms Gandhi described as the 'failure on all fronts'' of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government. The failure of one is related to the success of the latter, and this success has contributed to the lustre of Ms Gandhi's leadership. The confidence and buoyancy evident in the Congress party at the moment are a reflection of the public mood. The violence in Gujarat and the apparent indifference of the government to it have left people frightened of the politics of communal hatred. The time worn virtues of the Congress - its commitment to secularism and its ability to speak for and to all Indians irrespective of caste or creed - once again appear attractive and better suited to the rich cultural diversity that is India. These virtues of the Congress are no longer as strong as they once used to be, but they are more entrenched in its ethos than in any other party's programme. The Congress's success should thus be in the context of its rivals' failures. Today, the Congress rules in 14 states. This scent of success has added to the party's confidence. This should not convey the impression that the party's path to power is without obstacles. The principal obstacle may well lie in the attitudes of Congressmen. The prevailing ambience within the Congress party is that of sycophancy. The object of this sycophancy is the Nehru-Gandhi family. The dynastic principle has become ingrained in the culture of the Congress party. It started at the time of Indira Gandhi and continues to this day as is obvious from the deification of Ms Gandhi. It is taken for granted among Congressmen that only a member of the first dynasty of the party can lead it. This sits very uncomfortably with the spirit of democracy. More importantly, it erodes criticism and breeds complacency. The Congress, to get back to power, must fight enemies without and within.