Amid growing voices of dissent within the Congress following its abject loss in the recently-held Assembly elections, senior party leader Salman Khurshid said that the Gandhi family is the party’s integrating factor and is the best possible leadership option in this “moment of crisis.”
Khurshid further said that several party leaders want Rahul Gandhi to take over as full-time Congress president. “I hope he does so after internal polls,” he said.
Hitting back at party colleague Kapil Sibal for criticising the Gandhi family’s leadership, Khurshid asked when did Sibal fight an election for any position in the party. He said it was a “bit sad” to complain after receiving so much from the organisation, PTI reported.
The former Union minister also said that the ongoing rift within the party does not help the party, but helps the BJP.
Sibal draws flak from party colleague
Sibal recently created flutter after he said in an interview it was time for the Gandhis to give up the leadership role and give some other person a chance. He also said that the Gandhis should voluntarily move away because “a body nominated by them will never tell them that they should not continue to hold the reins of power”.
Earlier today, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge also slammed Sibal for his remarks and said he was a good lawyer but not a good leader of the party.
“Kapil Sibal may be a good lawyer but he is not a good leader of the Congress party. He never went to any village to work for Congress. He is deliberately trying to weaken the party. No one can weaken Sonia Gandhi or the Congress party,” Kharge told ANI.
The internal bickering within the Congress comes at a time the party stares at an existential crisis following its abysmal performance in the recently-held Assembly polls in five states.
Congress recently announced that Sonia Gandhi will continue as the president of the party.
