By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Amid fast-paced developments within the beleaguered Congress on Wednesday, its G-23 rebels suggested the get together management that the one means ahead is to undertake a mannequin of collective and inclusive management and determination making in any respect ranges.
The assertion was issued after a dinner assembly at veteran chief Ghulam Nabi Azad’s residence.
The G-23 assembly was earlier scheduled to be held at Kapil Sibal’s home however was shifted on the final minute as leaders like ex-Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda weren’t comfy along with his assault on the Gandhis.
Sibal is at the moment within the eye of a storm as he stated upfront that the Gandhis ought to let another person head the Congress.
The G-23 assertion additionally demanded that the get together management provoke talks with like-minded forces to construct a reputable various forward of the following Lok Sabha polls in 2024.
“The next steps in this regard will be announced soon,” the assertion collectively issued by 18 leaders stated.
What was attention-grabbing in regards to the gathering was the presence of Rajiv Gandhi loyalist Mani Shankar Aiyar. Other additions have been Patiala MP Preneet Kaur and ex-Gujarat CM S S Vaghela. Old faces like Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, Prithviraj Chavan, Vivek Tankha, Raj Babbar, Akhilesh Prasad Singh and Sandeep Dikshit have been additionally current.
The dissidents had thrown the door open to those that weren’t a part of G-23 however shared considerations in regards to the get together’s future. In Parliament, Congress president Sonia Gandhi aggressively attacked social media giants for allegedly siding with the ruling BJP in the course of the latest state elections.
Later within the day, she appointed senior leaders to evaluate the scenario and counsel organisational modifications in all of the 5 states the place Congress was routed.
A day earlier, she had sought the resignations of 5 PCC chiefs.
The newly appointed leaders are Jairam Ramesh (for Manipur), Ajay Maken (Punjab), Rajani Patil (Goa), Jitendra Singh (UP) and Avinash Pandey (Uttarakhand).
The G-23 noticed some extra leaders becoming a member of the dinner assembly at Azad’s residence, which was convened to work out the grouping’s future technique and focus on the Congress’s debacle within the just-concluded Assembly polls in 5 states.
The assembly lasted for over 4 hours and all of the leaders spoke in regards to the technique to be adopted.
Sources stated Azad additionally spoke to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and conveyed to her the emotions of the grouping whereas assuring her of their assist in strengthening the organisation.
Azad and Anand Sharma reposed religion in Gandhi’s management on the Congress Working Committee (CWC) assembly on Sunday.
Incidentally, the grouping sidestepped the problem of management, after Kapil Sibal stated Gandhi ought to step apart and pave the way in which for one more chief.
The leaders stated they met to deliberate on the demoralising final result of the latest ballot outcomes and the fixed exodus of get together leaders and employees.
“We believe that the only way forward for the Congress is to adopt a model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all levels.”
“In order to oppose the BJP, it is necessary to strengthen the Congress party. We demand the Congress party to initiate dialogue with other like-minded forces to create a platform to pave the way for a credible alternative for 2024,” the joint assertion of the G-23 stated.
The subsequent steps on this regard can be introduced quickly, it added.
Sources stated the grouping had earlier deliberate a dinner at Sibal’s residence, but it surely was modified on the final minute.
Among the leaders who attended the assembly have been Sibal, Sharma, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Prithviraj Chavan, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, Vivek Tankha, Raj Babbar, Akhilesh Prasad Singh and Sandeep Dikshit.
The ambit of the G-23 grouping widened this time as some extra leaders — Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, former Gujarat chief minister Shankar Singh Vaghela, former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, former Rajya Sabha deputy chairman PJ Kurian and former Haryana speaker Kuldeep Sharma joined the dinner assembly, apart from MA Khan.
The grouping had given an open invite to different Congressmen to hitch them on the dinner assembly.
The sources stated the assembly was convened to apprise all of the G-23 members of the choices taken on the essential CWC meet.
Two outstanding G-23 members — Azad and Sharma — have been to appraise the opposite members of the developments on the CWC assembly and what they stated on strengthening the get together within the wake of its drubbing within the Assembly polls, they stated.
The efficiency of the Congress in these states was poor because it didn’t win any of the 4 BJP-ruled states — Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur — whereas it misplaced Punjab to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The G-23 grouping has been vital of Congress’ management.
It has been demanding an organisational overhaul after its members wrote a joint letter to Gandhi in 2020.
The sources stated invites have been additionally prolonged to the Congressmen who don’t represent the bloc however really feel that modifications are required, together with on the management stage, to revive the get together’s electoral fortunes.
The determination to convene a gathering of the G-23 got here a day after Gandhi sought the resignation of the Congress presidents of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa.
Sibal, in his newest salvo concentrating on the Congress management, had stated the Gandhis ought to step apart and provides another chief an opportunity to helm the get together, frightening a backlash from the Gandhi household loyalists, who accused him of talking the language of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The G-23 has, nonetheless, obtained weakened over time with senior chief M Veerappa Moily distancing himself from the group, Jitin Prasada becoming a member of the BJP and Mukul Wasnik not attending its conferences in latest instances.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday engaged 5 senior leaders to evaluate the post-poll scenario in 5 states and counsel organisational modifications following its electoral debacle, a day after the state unit chiefs have been requested to resign.
Rajya Sabha MP Rajani Patil has been requested to evaluate the scenario in Goa, Jairam Ramesh in Manipur and Ajay Maken in Punjab, the place the Congress misplaced energy to the Aam Aadmi Party.
Congress chief Jitendra Singh will to asses the post-poll scenario in Uttar Pradesh and counsel modifications, whereas Avinash Pandey has been requested to take action in Uttarakhand.
“Congress president has appointed leaders to assess the post-poll situation and suggest organisational changes in the states (with inputs) from MLA candidates and important leaders with immediate effect,” an official communication stated.
The Congress fared poorly within the just-concluded meeting elections by failing to win again any of the BJP-ruled states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur and dropping Punjab to the AAP.
The Congress Working Committee had mentioned the explanations for the ballot debacle and authorised Sonia Gandhi to provoke mandatory modifications in these states after the drubbing.
Gandhi Tuesday had requested the chiefs of its Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur models to submit their resignations.
(With PTI Inputs)
