Ayodhya verdict: Congress sees opportunity to reclaim lost ground, endorses construction of temple

The Supreme Court giving finality to the Ayodhya dispute could provide an opportunity to the Congress, which was quick to endorse early construction of a Ram temple, to win back the confidence of the majority population and shrug off the charge of "minority appeasement".

A section of party leaders feel that despite having initiated the process of starting prayers at the disputed site way back in 1986, the Congress has suffered electoral losses in the Hindi heartland, particularly Uttar Pradesh, since the demolition of the Babri mosque under its regime in 1992.

As the Congress's fortunes dipped, its arch-rival BJP emerged as the clear gainer, riding on the Ram Janmabhoomi movement to national limelight and subsequent electoral victories.