Sanjay Nirupam decries public dissent by Cong leaders, pitches Rahul Gandhi as party chief

Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Monday lashed out at senior party leaders for fighting among themselves publicly and for controlling AICC for many years. In a veiled dig at Kapil Sibal, P Chidambaram and Ghulam Nabi Azad, he mentioned that some leaders reap the benefits of a good outcome and start complaining when things go awry. While maintaining that Congress will weaken owing to the reducing faith in the senior party leaders, he agreed with the dissenting opinion that organizational elections are the only way out.

Contending that Congress's organizational structure at the block and district level has collapsed, Nirupam argued that this situation cannot be redressed without conducting polls. He predicted a turnaround in Congress' fortunes if Rahul Gandhi immediately takes over as the party president and gives an opportunity to hard-working and energetic leaders. Stressing that Congress has got a new life in the past too by promoting new ideas, the former Lok Sabha MP opined that change is a natural phenomenon. 

Read: P Chidambaram Attempts Damage Control, Sees Silver Lining In Bihar & Bypoll Results

Dissent within Congress ranks

Sibal, one of the 23 senior Congress leaders who had expressed dissatisfaction with the party's leadership, again raised probing questions after the debacle in the Bihar Assembly election and the bypolls. In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express on November 16, he contended that the people of the country "don't consider Congress to be an effective alternative". The former Union Minister indicated that the Congress leadership is taking it "business as usual" despite the party managing to win only 19 out of the 70 seats in Bihar.

Meanwhile, former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram too raised concerns about Congress' recent performance especially the by-election results of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka in an interview to Dainik Bhaskar. Observing that Congress contested more seats than its organizational strength in Bihar, he added that the party should have refused to fight in the 25 seats where BJP or its allies have been winning for nearly two decades. Chidambaram called for a comprehensive review of a downturn in Congress' electoral fortunes.  

In further embarrassment for the party, former Jammu and Kashmir CM Ghulam Nabi Azad opined that a 5-star culture had taken root in Congress. While exonerating Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for Congress' failures, he noted that the party is at its lowest in the last 72 years. According to him, it was imperative for Congress to conduct election from the block to the national level, provide a programme to the party and ensure accountability to make it a viable national alternative. 

Read: 'Didn't See His Face In Bihar': Adhir Chowdhury Tears Into Kapil Sibal Over Cong Criticism