Congress leaders seek introspection, fixing blame for drift; Rahul Gandhi aide blames UPA-2

New Delhi: The anger in the Congress over the organisational crisis and electoral debacle overflowed at Thursday’s virtual meeting of Rajya Sabha MPs presided over by Sonia Gandhi.

As many MPs demanded course-correction after meaningful introspection, dialogue and fixing accountability, Team Rahul’s Rajiv Satav stunned participants by shifting the blame on the UPA-2 — presided over by Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh — by claiming that “the stint of that government ruined the Congress and so the accountability for the party's crisis must be fixed from that time”.

Singh and Gandhi were silent but some others, who spoke at the meeting, however claimed that “lightweight, inexperienced youngsters” were trying to “undeservingly thrive” by creating a young versus old narrative and dividing the leadership, sources said.


Of the 40-odd MPs, only Digvijaya Singh, Shaktisinh Gohil, Rajiv Satav, Ripun Bora, Abhishek Singhvi, PL Puniya and GC Chandrashekhar appealed for Rahul Gandhi’s return as party chief, it is learnt.

Gohil even “suggested all leaders must retweet Rahul’s tweets”. Rahul did not attend the meeting. Two weeks ago, only five of over 50 Congress Lok Sabha MPs made a similar appeal at another meeting. The reluctance of leaders to root for Rahul’s return coincided with his team’s effort to build a chorus for his return.

Satav’s solo bid to deflect criticism off Team Rahul, which was in charge since 2012, was all the more embarrassing as participants included P Chidambaram, AK Antony, Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad, top leaders of the erstwhile UPA government. “Manmohanji appeared taken aback but Satav didn’t get any support,” said an MP.

Kapil Sibal is believed to have said it was important to criticise wrong policies of the government and BJP and “capturing of institutions” but it was equally important for Congress to introspect to find what went wrong.

He called for “an honest dialogue” on problems. Chidambaram is learnt to have said despite the government mismanaging the economy and many other things, it got away as Congress failed to capitalise on them.

He called for reinforcing the organisation and communication process to counter the government-BJP “blitzkrieg”. Ahmed Patel stressed on involving RS MPs in active duty of PCCs and DCCs, sources said.

Punjab veteran Shamsher Singh Dullo, sources said, hit out at “foisting of lightweight and inexperienced” leaders with no grassroots understanding as AICC functionaries and said they thrived by creating a “young versus old” narrative and dividing the leadership.

Stressing the importance of experienced leaders who have climbed the organisational and political ladder, Dullo said many inexperienced but well-connected leaders have introduced a “five-star culture” and “laptop and data politics”, leaving deserving youngsters languishing.

When AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, another Rahul appointee, said that the organisation and communication wings were in good shape, Akhilesh Prasad Singh said the Congress organisation “is in good shape in Kerala but not in north India, especially UP and Bihar”, the sources said.

He asked why attempts were made to “erect a wall by creating a perception on young versus old tussle” when everyone considered Sonia and Rahul as their leaders.