PTI
NEW DELHI, APRIL 14
Yet another Congress stalwart today voiced reservation over Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as party president, with former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit saying there was “skepticism” over his leadership qualities and pitched for continuance of Sonia Gandhi at the helm. The 77-year-old veteran said under Sonia Gandhi there was a “comfort feeling” and that the party could rely on the incumbent president’s “overpowering and very successful” leadership for its revival.
“I will not be able to give any idea what will happen or what will not happen. He (Rahul) could succeed. There is another point we must understand that the overpowering and very successful leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi is there. So there is a comfort feeling with her,” Dikshit told PTI in an interview.
Dikshit said Rahul’s leadership qualities have not been fully tested yet and it would be good for the party if Sonia continues to lead it.
“I am yet to meet anybody who has any critical remarks to make about the leadership of Sonia Gandhi. I can say it with absolute confidence. Whereas (in case of) Rahul, of course, there is a question mark, there is skepticism because you have not seen him perform as yet,” Dikshit said.
Dikshit’s comments have come at a time when Congress appears divided on whether to anoint Rahul as president replacing his mother Sonia. Senior party leaders Amarinder Singh and Dikshit’s son Sandeep had come out strongly against Rahul’s elevation.
Dikshit’s son Sandeep had earlier this month said that Sonia was the “leader” for “99 per cent of partymen” and she was needed at the helm now more than ever. Singh had said Sonia should “retain” Congress Presidentship and a generational change cannot be done “with a knife”.
“There is a comfort feeling with Sonia Gandhi as she has done things which we would not have expected. She never accepted PM’s post yet she made Congress win twice in general elections. So, that comfort feeling is there with her. She is a confident leader whom Congress can rely upon.
“That comfort feeling has yet to develop where Rahul is concerned,” Dikshit said, adding it was too early to judge his leadership credentials.
Asked whether the party should accept if Sonia decides to step down, Dikshit said it was for her to take a call.
“She is not one of those who runs away from responsibility. I do not think she is the kind who does that. And when it comes to the survival of the Congress or the ideology of the Congress she is always there,” she said.
Asked whether Rahul will be able to steer the party if made president, Dikshit said it was too early to comment.
“It’s a question of the future. How he does, what he does... When you get full responsibility, you may come out with a different colour,” said Dikshit.
On opposition’s criticism of Rahul over his nearly two-month-long sabbatical, Dikshit said it was a “non-issue.”
“I do not give too much importance to it. Mrs Gandhi is the president and, in the last three or four weeks or so, she has once again shown her mettle. Her concern for things that matter to India like (protecting) the interest of the farmers and price rise.”
Expressing confidence about Congress’ revival, the former Delhi Chief Minister cited examples of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, who led the party back to power after electoral debacles.
“I have no doubt that it will revive. We have time on our side now. We have four years comfortably and the Congress will introspect. It is in the process of doing so. It will do more. This is not for the first time in the country that the intellectuals felt that Congress is over.
“Don’t think that if you lose an election once, you lost it forever or if you won an election, you won it forever. So, there are these moments that happen and it’s part of history and part of democracy,” she said.
Dikshit suggested revamping the AICC and called for young leaders like Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada being given more prominent roles.
“I think that the AICC needs to be revamped and a new impetus given to its structure. For instance, some people have been there for decades and decades. We need to bring new blood. We should bring them in and train for the future,” she said.
Dikshit said the party should bring “change” which will be “refreshing”. “We do need to have change in our thoughts and bring fresh blood. The fire in the belly has to come,” she said.
Asked about the demand by a section in the Congress to give Priyanka Gandhi a prominent role, Dikshit said it can be decided by the party leadership and the Gandhi family.
“This is something which has to be done very carefully and Mrs Gandhi is known to be a person who treads very carefully and in a very sophisticated and careful way, (she) measures everything. I have the fullest faith in her. Whatever she does, the party will follow,” she said.
The former Delhi Chief Minister said she was ready to play any role in the party but insisted she was not seeking any position.
Moments after PTI carried a story where senior Congress leader Sheila Dikshit questioned Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, the former Delhi chief minister has denied making any comments against the party vice-president who is out on a sabbatical.
“Praised Sonia Gandhi but didn’t make any comment against Rahul Gandhi,” Dikshit was quoted as saying by NDTV. “Rahul would make a good Prime Minister,” Dikshit said.
Rahul Gandhi is expected to return from his sabbatical by Wednesday when his temporary break from political life clocks 55th day. Congress sources gave the fresh schedule for Rahul’s return after the wait on Monday proved futile. It was earlier indicated that the party vice-president would be back from his sabbatical on April 12-13.
Rahul Gandhi is expected to return from his sabbatical by Wednesday when his temporary break from political life clocks 55th day.
Congress sources gave the fresh schedule for Rahul’s return after the wait on Monday proved futile. It was earlier indicated that the party vice-president would be back from his sabbatical on April 12-13.
In the process, Rahul skipped the meeting of the high-powered panel on Ambedkar celebrations which he co-chairs, leaving the party to face another burst of persistent queries about his return and if he would really be present at the farmers’ rally on April 19 as earlier announced.
Sources claimed the likelihood of Rahul coming back after two days is strong. If it happens, it would have far overshot the two-week leave announced by AICC on February 20. The leave, taken on the day the Budget session of Parliament started, had baffled everyone. Though exasperated spokespersons have many a times rebuffed queries about Rahul’s location and return, Monday saw seniors AK Antony and Mallikarjuna Kharge at the receiving end of journalists’ curiosity.
“How many times it has to be clarified,” wondered Antony, when the special press briefing about decisions on Ambedkar celebrations found the main subject overshadowed by queries on Rahul. “It has been explained many times,” he said on being asked if the party agreed with former CM Amarinder Singh, who wants Sonia Gandhi to stay on as party president, or Punjab unit chief Partap Singh Bajwa who wants Rahul’s elevation without any further delay. Antony, however, added with certainty that “Rahul would attend the farmers’ rally on April 19.”
With nobody able to make sense of the long leave alien to the political class, there are many claims about the reasons for Rahul’s abrupt disappearance. A section says he is sulking for being blamed for Congress failures he had no role in, while another argues he just wanted to be away from routine to think through the future strategy for the party he is soon going to take charge of.
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