Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi stirred up the Indian political scene when she responded with a letter of her own, in which she has communicated to her party colleagues that she is stepping down as the interim party president, following a letter written to her by at least 23 party leaders demanding a leadership overhaul. "She has asked to communicate to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) members that she doesn't want to continue and is stepping down," said a source, according to The Print. Sonia's move comes ahead of the CWC meeting on Monday, where there is expected to be a call for a new leader to take on the role of party president. Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, however, said there has been no such official communication about leadership change. "Mrs. Gandhi hasn't given any such quote or interview to anyone about leadership change," Surjewala told reporters outside the Congress office Sunday. Sonia's move comes after several prominent leaders wrote to her demanding a "full time and effective leadership". They also sought a leadership that is both "visible" and "active" in the field, and called for elections to be conducted for CWC membership. The Print revealed Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, party MPs and former Union ministers Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor are among the prominent signatories. Former chief ministers and Union ministers including Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, M. Veerappa Moily, Prithviraj Chavan, P.J. Kurien, Ajay Singh, Renuka Chowdhury and Milind Deora among others have also signed on the letter. The letter has acknowledged that the youth of the country have unequivocally chosen Narendra Modi over the Congress, and underlined that the erosion of the party's support base, and the loss of the confidence of the youth are matters of serious concern. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said that the news of 23 senior Congress leaders writing a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi was unbelievable and if it was true, then the leaders should have kept the information to themselves. He also added that he believed Sonia Gandhi, who is the interim party chief, should continue to lead the party at a juncture when it had hit its lowest ebb, according to the Hindustan Times. Criticising the letter on leadership issues in the Congress, Gehlot said, that when it came to a fight to save the ethos of the Indian democracy, Gandhi had always taken challenges head on. He also emphasized that if she had indeed made up her mind then he thought Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should step forward and take up the reins of the party. The Indian Express reported that Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh Sunday came out in support of Gandhis as he opposed the bid by some Congress leaders to challenge the Gandhi family leadership of the party, saying this was not the time to raise such an issue, given the need for a strong opposition against the BJP-led NDA that was out to destroy the country's Constitutional ethos and democratic principles. In a statement issued in Chandigarh on Sunday, the veteran Congress leader said the NDA's success was attributable to the absence of a strong and united opposition, and the move by these Congress leaders to demand a rehaul of the party at this critical juncture would be detrimental to its interests, and the interests of the nation. India is currently facing not just external dangers from across the border but also internal threats to its federal structure, he said, adding that a unified Congress alone could protect the country and its people. Terming the demand for leadership change as untenable, Capt. Amarinder noted the immense contribution of the Gandhi family to the country's progress since it achieved freedom from the British rule. What Congress needs is a leadership that is acceptable not just to a few but to the entire party, through its rank and file, and the nation at large, he said. He added, the Gandhis were the right fit for this role. Sonia Gandhi should continue to helm the Congress as long as she wanted, he said, and added that Rahul should thereafter take over as he was fully competent to lead the party. —Agencies
