Kapil Sibal's message for Congress top brass: Listen to voices of concern

New Delhi: After the exit of Jyotiradiya Scindia and many Congress leaders airing their views about the party affairs regarding course correction and who should lead the party, former Union Minister Kapil Sibal has said, "I think those public statements should be heard and should be listened to".

In an interview to IANS, Kapil Sibal said, "I am one of those who has never made a public statement on these issues but I think these are party affairs but there are some of my colleagues who have made public comments and I think those public statements should be heard and should be listened to and obviously political parties like any other organisation needs rejuvenation, I think the party needs rejuvenation, (has to) move forward and correct errors if any."

The Congress leader asserted that those at the helm should listen to the voices of concern. "I think those who are concerned and made public statements and those who are at the helm of the party affairs, both should listen to each other and I think the party should get together and move forward in a constructive manner to get back into the minds of the people of India as Congress was in their minds for many years."

On exit of Scindia, Sibal said, "I would never bargain for anything after being in politics for 30 years. But it's an individual issue."

The Congress leader said that the ratings of the present government is degrading fast in the minds of the people and it's the duty of the party to give alternative to the people if we can give it, "paasa palat jayega", he said.

While many leaders including Manish Tewari, Ashwani Kumar and Sandeep Dikshit have raised the issue of leadership in the party with Dikshit saying "extraordinary situation demands extraordinary solutions". The Congress Working Committee and senior leaders of the party should talk to Rahul Gandhi, he said.

"If not, then a new president should be elected and the uncertainty in the party should end soon," Dikshit said in an interview to IANS.

Recalling that a few months back, Gandhi had said that he will not become the president again and it is time that the new party chief should be from outside the Gandhi family, Sibal said, "Rahul Gandhi has himself suggested that the president could be elected from outside the family. The Working Committee could not find a new president. This has created a despair in the party. But if the senior leaders want Sonia Gandhi as president, then she should be made full time President... why is there uncertainty? We should talk amongst us in an organised way and at least start a discussion and if at all, you need Rahul Gandhi, then all the senior leaders should go to him."

"Overwhelming consensus in the Congress is that we need Sonia Gandhi as the president for the foreseeable future," Manish Tewari said and added, we should look for another president only after sorting out ideological issues, which might take more than a year.

While many like Ajay Maken and others are batting for Rahul Gandhi, former Union Minister Manish Tewari had plumped for Sonia and Anil Shastri suggesting Priyanka Gandhi - with all leaders contending that a non-Gandhi will not be accepted as the party leader.

Sonia Gandhi was appointed Interim President in August by the Congress Working Committee after Rahul Gandhi quit following the party's debacle in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls - the second successive rout, and resisted all requests to reconsider.

"I believe a revived @INCIndia is indispensable to provide a national alternative to the divisive policies of the BJP. This is why the current perception of drift must be ended," tweeted Shashi Tharoor.