'Dissenters' Shashi Tharoor, Akhilesh Singh seek end to public debate; express faith in Gandhis

Some ‘dissenters’ in the Congress have sought to end the public debate over the leadership issue, expressing faith in the leadership of party chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Akhilesh Prasad Singh, among the ‘Group of 23’ who had sought sweeping changes in the organisation to make it more “visible” and “active”, have said it was the duty of all to work together in the interest of the party once the party chief has stated that the issue was “behind us”.

“I have been silent for four days on the recent events in the Congress because once the Congress President says the issue is behind us, it is the duty of all of us to work together constructively in the interests of the party,” Tharoor said.

Also read — Duty of all to work in party's interest: Tharoor

His remarks come in the wake of Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad reiterating the demand for internal elections if the Congress has to remain relevant in the future.

Rajya Sabha member Akhilesh Prasad Singh also urged fellow letter writers not to discuss the issues raised in the letter in public and have faith in the leadership.

“Although I signed a letter to CP, it was never my intent to discuss party matters publicly. With Sonia ji charting out a clear path for Congress in the CWC, I have full confidence in her & Rahul ji. I urge my friends to have faith and not discuss these issues in public either,” said Singh, a leader from poll-bound Bihar.

Also read — Message to letter writers as Sonia Gandhi makes key party appointments

The letter, full text of which was uploaded on the NDTV website, outlined an 11-point agenda to usher in reforms in the organisation.

“We have witnessed a steady decline of the Congress party reflected in successive electoral verdicts in States and General Elections in 2014 and 2019. Reasons are manifold and need to be immediately identified. Otherwise, the Congress Party will find itself marginalised, both in the states, which is already apparent, as well as the national level,” the letter said.

“The uncertainty over the leadership and the drift have demoralised the Congress workers and further weakened the party," it added.

It criticised the leadership for not undertaking an “honest introspection” for its “continued decline” even 14 months after the verdict of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The leaders suggested a “full-time and effective leadership active in the field and visible, and available at the AICC and PCC headquarters, constituting the Central Parliamentary Board for collective thinking and decision-making, elections of CWC members, block and state Congress chiefs and AICC members in a transparent manner and reconstitution of important panels to include leaders with organisational background and active field knowledge and experience.