Congress structure collapsed, needs to be rebuilt, says Azad

The Congress get together’s ‘structure’ has collapsed and needs to be rebuilt by having elected leaders from the block to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) stage and implement accountability within the system, Leader of the Opposition within the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, mentioned on Sunday.

Mr. Azad, in an interview to the information company Asia News International (ANI), nonetheless, asserted that there was ‘no rebellion but a call to reform the Congress and become a national alternative’.

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He additionally gave a ‘clean chit’ to the Gandhis as they couldn’t have effected drastic adjustments in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic however claimed that they’ve agreed to their demand of getting an elected get together chief, CWC members and different ranges of management.

Mr. Azad is a part of the group of 23 (G-23) leaders who, in August, had despatched a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi wherein they demanded a “visible, effective and full-time leader” and arrange an institutional mechanism to present “collective leadership.”

Key panels

Last Friday, Ms. Gandhi appointed 4 of them — Mr. Azad, Anand Sharma, Veerappa Moily and Shashi Tharoor — to key get together panels on financial system, nationwide safety and international affairs.

“There is no rebellion in the Congress party. Rebellion means replacing someone. There is no other candidate for the post of party president. This is not a rebellion. This is for reforms,” Mr. Azad mentioned, including “sycophancy in any party leads to its downfall.”

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“I am giving a clean chit to the Gandhis due to the COVID-19 pandemic as they can’t do much right now. There is no change in our demands. They have agreed to most of our demands. Our leadership should hold elections if they want to become a national alternative and revive the party,” he added.

ANI quoted Mr. Azad as saying that “the Congress is on its lowest in the last 72 years. The Congress does not have even the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha during last two terms.” The get together’s victory within the 9 seats of the Ladakh Hill Council elections was a shock, he mentioned.

Bihar outcomes

Breaking his silence on Bihar election outcomes, Mr. Azad mentioned a five-star tradition had seeped into the get together and candidates first checked right into a luxurious resort after getting get together ticket to contest an election.

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“Our party’s structure has collapsed. We need to rebuild our structure and then if any leader is elected in that structure, it will work. But to say that just by changing the leader we will win Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh etc. is wrong. That will happen once we change the system. Until we change our way of functioning at every level, things won’t change,” he mentioned.

Defends Gandhis

In a separate interview to PTI, former Union Minister Salman Khursid, nonetheless, strongly defended the Gandhis. “I think that it is apparent to anyone who is not blind, that people are fully supportive of Congress president Sonia ji and Rahul Gandhi, who is our former president. Everybody supports them,” he mentioned.