Cap Congress chief’s tenure at 10 years: Jagmeet Brar

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Jagmeet Brar, who has been issued a show-cause notice by the party, has demanded that the term of the party president be limited to 10 years, or two terms, saying this key reform is required to strengthen the Congress organization.

Brar said the ceiling on party chief's tenure would help in grooming new leadership and engage common workers.

The demand is likely to be seen as a barb at the Gandhi family given that Sonia Gandhi has just finished 15 years at the head of the party. The leadership of Congress remains with its first family and the demand may only rile the ruling establishment.

The senior Punjab leader said the party would have to prepare itself at the grassroots level because the fight was getting serious. "How to prepare ourselves? Because sycophancy, which is our patent for years, will not be able to compete with commitments which inspire a larger section of our society," he said, buttressing the often-levelled criticism that pointless loyalty was a preferred trait over genuine leadership in Congress.

Brar was slapped with a show-cause notice for making statements like asking the Gandhi family to take two-year leave. In his reply to AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmed, he has denied making the remark.

Speaking to reporters, Brar on Monday said Congress needs radical reforms and introspection to come out of its worst-ever electoral drubbing. "The party needs a serious chintan shivir to debate the defeat," he said.

He further demanded that Congress should start consolidating its base in states where potential leaders have been marginalized and B-teams are in force. "How to prepare ourselves? Because sycophancy, which is our patent for years, will not be able to compete with commitments which inspire a larger section of our society," he said, buttressing the often-levelled criticism that pointless loyalty was a preferred trait over genuine leadership in Congress.

Brar was slapped with a show-cause notice for making statements like asking the Gandhi family to take two-year leave. In his reply to AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmed, he has denied making the remark.