In a new development that appeared to be a response to a restiveness in Congress sparked by its debacle in the state polls, party president Sonia Gandhi told the Congress Working Committee “we three” (she, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) were ready to “step back” if it is felt their leadership lacks steadiness, shocking the gathering of elite party members and eliciting a unanimous chorus rejecting the offer.
Sources said the entire gathering, including the leading lights of the ‘rebel G-23’ Ghulam Nabi Azad, said “no” and asked her to continue. Azad even told Sonia “we” have never questioned your leadership, but only flagged the flaws in the party management. Before Sunday’s meeting, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and some others like Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar as well as a throng of party workers outside the AICC office demanded Rahul Gandhi should take up the top post again.
Demand for rejig in the party brass has been a recurring theme in Congress and CWC meetings, but remains to be met as organisational elections, which will conclude with the election of a new chief, are scheduled for September. Sonia, according to sources, said, "For me the INC is important. We are ready to make any sacrifices. If it is felt that the Gandhi family is not able to do it, then we three are ready to step back. "
A statement released after the meeting said, “The CWC reaffirmed faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and requested her to lead from the front, address the organisational weaknesses, effect necessary and comprehensive organisational changes in order to take on the political challenges.” It also expressed concern over the poll debacle.
The discussions witnessed critical remarks from members. Azad brought up the issue of organizational management that has been a key concern with the dissenting bloc. He spoke pointedly that “decision making should be collective”- an unambiguous reference to the G-23 charge that party was being managed in an opaque manner by a small group of inexperienced leaders while veterans were not being consulted. Another G-23 leader Anand Sharma lamented that “we” are falsely defamed as rebels. He said there should be more communication in the party and CWC meetings.
While Congress leaders including Rahul stressed the need to strengthen the party and approach the elections with a strategy and agenda, the interesting aspect came during the discussions on Punjab where Congress was swept away from power by AAP, and in Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, where it fell way short of posting a challenge to the ruling BJP.
Azad punched holes in the party’s approach in Punjab, criticising that AICC general secretary Harish Rawat continued with his Punjab charge right till the elections even when he knew that he had to play a role in Uttarakhand. He said the state’s manager should have been changed a good one and half years earlier. He also questioned the decision to remove Amarinder Singh as chief minister midstream.
As demanded by many in the CWC, Congress is likely to hold a ‘chintan shivir (brainstorming session)’ after the parliament session to send out a message of unity and intent to workers and leaders nationally. During the marathon discussions, in which state in-charges Harish Chaudhary, Devender Yadav, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Dinesh Gundu Rao gave their reports on failure in elections, many suggestions were offered which included creating a separate ‘election management’ department.
