'Time to build consensus': Sachin Pilot weighs in on dissent letter, bats for Rahul Gandhi

Weighing in on the dissent within Congress, ex-Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot on Sunday revealed that most workers want Rahul Gandhi to take over as the party president. Highlighting that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Wayanad MP had sacrificed for the greater good of the people time and again, Pilot stressed that it is necessary to build consensus and consolidate. Thereafter, he opined that the future of the party will be stronger only when the party leaders are united.

While Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot had slammed Congress leaders for raising their concerns, Pilot refrained from criticising the dissenters. In fact, Gehlot backed Sonia Gandhi to continue leading the Congress party to save the "ethos of India's democracy". It is pertinent to note that former Congress president had played a pivotal role in convincing Pilot and his group of 18 MLAs to remain in the Congress fold after their month-long tiff with Gehlot. 

Read: BJP's Shivraj Chouhan Says 'Congress Bound To Sink' As Sonia Gandhi Likely Resign As Chief

Congress leaders write to Sonia Gandhi

Reportedly, several Congress leaders wrote to the Congress president on August 12 calling for sweeping changes in the party's functioning. Some of the senior leaders who have reportedly signed the letter include Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari, Milind Deora, Mukul Wasnik, Jitin Prasada, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and Prithviraj Chavan. They observed that the uncertainly over the leadership and the drift in the party have weakened Congress and demoralized the workers. The letter reportedly mentioned many suggestions such as the need for a full-time leadership available at the national and state headquarters, conducting elections at all levels including the Congress Working Committee and state level, the formation of an Independent Election Authority, and institutional leadership mechanism to guide the party's revival. 

Read: Amid Congress Rumblings, Bhupesh Baghel Urges Rahul Gandhi To Take Over As Party President

Adhir Chowdhury slams dissenters

Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury appealed to Sonia Gandhi to continue as the party president. According to him, the party's future was safe only in the hands of Sonia Gandhi or her son Rahul. He alleged that some party leaders were deliberately attempting to weaken Congress and derail the Gandhi family's efforts to take on the Modi government. Chowdhury accused the dissenters of raising the "bogey" of a leadership crisis at the behest of some interested parties.