The Sengol issue refers to the alleged involvement of the Congress MLA Vinod Chandrakar in the illegal mining of sand in Sengol, Chhattisgarh. The impact of this issue on the Congress party and its response can be summarized as follows:

• The Sengol issue affected the image of the Congress party in Chhattisgarh and raised questions about its commitment to curbing illegal mining.
• The incident also highlighted the lack of intra-party discipline and accountability, with several Congress leaders including Chandrakar's sister and brother-in-law being named in the case.
• The Congress party initially denied any involvement of its leaders in the illegal mining activities, but later suspended Chandrakar from the party and ordered a probe into the matter.
• The party also tried to downplay the issue by stating that it was taking action against those found guilty of wrongdoing, and that the BJP government in Chhattisgarh was also complicit in such activities.
• While the Congress party's response was seen as somewhat reactive and defensive, it did take some corrective measures to address the issue and show that it was serious about combating corruption within its ranks.

Overall, the Sengol issue serves as a reminder of the challenges that political parties face in maintaining integrity and accountability in a complex and often corrupt political environment.