Sonia Gandhi set to meet ‘rebel’ leaders today
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 18
Ahead of Sonia Gandhi’s meeting tomorrow with a section of dissenting leaders who have sought organisational changes, the Congress today said Rahul Gandhi was the right person to lead the party.
‘There is no dissension’
The Congress president has already decided to hold election to the post of party president. The process is underway. There are no internal issues of dissension of any nature pending in the party.
The remarks by Congress media chief Randeep Surjewala assume significance with the process of conducting elections to the post of Congress president under way.
Seeking to downplay any meeting between Sonia and rebel leaders, who wrote to her in August, the Congress said “no issues of dissension are pending in the party after Sonia Gandhi announced at the last working committee meeting that elections to party president’s post would soon be held”.
Tharoor, Hooda to be present
- Among 23 leaders who wrote to her, Sonia will meet Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor and Vivek Tankha
- Veterans P Chidambaram and Kamal Nath will also be present at the meeting to discuss ways to revive the Congress and hold a fair internal election
“Addressing issues raised by some of the senior leaders, the Congress president has already decided to hold election to the post of party president. The process is under way. We will inform you of the schedule as we go by,” said Surjewala, insisting all issues stood resolved with the announcement of the party chief election. “There are no internal issues of dissensions of any nature pending in the party,” he said.
Asked about the likely candidate, considering Rahul Gandhi had quit the post of party chief in May 2019 and insisted on a non-Gandhi president, Surjewala said, “The president of te Congress will be chosen by the electoral college of the party, leaders, workers and AICC members. The party will choose a person best suited for the post. It is my belief and the belief of an overwhelming majority of 99.9 per cent leaders and workers that Rahul Gandhi is the right person to lead the party and take on the Modi government.” Surjewala said most Congress persons wanted Rahul to lead from the front.
The party, meanwhile, said Sonia has decided to resume meetings to discuss various organisational issues, including party elections and farmers agitation.
