Advani's remarks against Sonia 'frustrated outbursts': Cong

NEW DELHI: Congress today dubbed as "frustrated outbursts" the veiled attack on Sonia Gandhi by senior BJP leader L K Advani, who talked of Congress president's post becoming a "family monopoly".

Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said Advani was doing all this to remain in news after he "lost all power even within his party".

"It's an old allegation repeated by an old author. Both the wine and bottle are old. These are the frustrated outbursts of the person, who has used the same allegations to make a bid for the Prime Minister's office but has instead been reduced to the permanent position of PM in waiting," Singhvi told PTI.

He was reacting to Advani's latest post in his blog which said, "Those were the days when every year the Congress would have a new President. How much things have changed since! Nowadays, Party Presidentship seems to have become a family monopoly, and that too for life".

Countering the remarks, Singhvi said, "He (Advani) forgets that Congress is the first party to have regular intra-party elections. Sonia Gandhi has been elected party president repeatedly in free and fair elections."

Ridiculing the BJP leader for his remarks, he said, "I don't see the reason why it causes headache to a person, who has lost all power even his own party and was dethroned as its president. He is now finding new ways to remain in news."

Advani said even Mahatma Gandhi, who commanded extraordinary influence over the Congress all his life became president of the party only once in 1924.

Sonia Gandhi was elected party president for the fourth time unopposed last year. The tenure of the presidentship has also been increased to five years from three years this time.