The crushing defeat in May has had absolutely no effect on Rahul and his party. Instead of introspecting on and learning from its mistakes, the Congress has refused to mend its ways and is back traversing on the path that took it to the verge of extinction.

In 1980, comedian Asrani produced, directed and starred in a film called Hum Nahin Sudharenge. Rahul Gandhi can consider borrowing the title from Asrani to produce a docu-drama on the Congress after the Lok Sabha polls.

The crushing defeat in May has had absolutely no effect on Rahul and his party. Instead of introspecting on and learning from its mistakes, the Congress has refused to mend its ways and is back traversing on the path that took it to the verge of extinction.

Two incidents from the past week, both ignored by the media and political analysts—a clear and worrying sign that Rahul and the Congress don’t deserve too much attention—show that nothing has changed in the Congress.

A few days ago, Rahul suddenly appeared in Delhi to protest a demolition drive. After announcing his intention to block bulldozers, he receded into the dark corridors of 10 Janpath or wherever he lives these days.

The only reason Rahul’s latest appearance did not leave us with a sense of déjà vu is that nothing that the Congress VP does these days gets noticed. The angry-young-man act has been a standard feature of Rahul’s politics. But Rahul still hasn’t realized that his faux anger doesn’t help —it never did—him connect with the masses but only earns him more ridicule.

There is indeed some space for anger in politics, but only in moderation. Rahul has to now show that he is capable of mature, nuanced dialogue on issues of political importance. But he continues to behave like a student leader. Hasn’t he realized that Modi has not even bothered to respond to any of Rahul's jibes since the election?

The other sign of the Congress’ inability—or is it intransigence?—to reinvent itself emerged from Rajasthan, where it was wiped out in municipal elections past week. A day after the loss, the party dissolved its state executive and announced new office bearers. The new executive, lead by Sachin Pilot, is packed with sons and daughters of state Congress leaders who only a year ago were rejected by voters.

With half its members, including Pilot himself, from the second and third generation of former Congress leaders, the new executive is an ode to dynastic politics that is currently an anathema for voters.

What is Rahul up to?

Clearly, he has not learnt from his past; even if he has, Rahul is reluctant to rectify the mistakes and begin afresh. But there might be a third, more dangerous reason: Is it possible that Rahul thinks he and his party did nothing wrong and thus do not need to change?

The last possibility seems most plausible if you decipher some of Rahul’s latest statements. He seems intent on arguing that the Congress lost the election not because of its mistakes but because Modi misled people.

“He promised jobs but instead gave you brooms (naukri ki jagah jharoo thama di); he promised achche din but is busy touring foreign countries; gussa karne wale raj kar rahe hain…” some of his recent attacks on the Modi government suggest he is keen just to point fingers at the BJP.

Rahul must be hoping that if the Modi government becomes unpopular, his party would automatically benefit from the change in popular sentiment. But this flawed strategy would lead him to complete doom.

Unless the Congress distances itself from its past follies—dynastic culture, dole-centred economics, and minority-focussed politics—gets rid of incompetent leaders and corrupt darbaris, there is absolutely no hope for the party.

Even if Modi fails to live up to expectations and people erupt in anger against his inability to deliver, in its current form the Congress will not be acceptable. There is every possibility that a new leader and a different party would step into the vacuum.

But Rahul still doesn’t get this. It’s a pity. Even Asrani was wise enough to never produce a film after Hum Nahin Sudharenge proved to be a box-office disaster.