Necessary to strengthen Congress to fight BJP, inclusive leadership only way forward: G-23 leaders

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 16

Eighteen Congress leaders on Wednesday met at the invitation of G-23 to discuss the demoralising defeat of the party in recent assembly elections and said the only way forward for the grand old outfit was adoption of a model of collective and inclusive leadership across all levels of decision making.

Silent on the issue of Gandhis leading the Congress, the G-23 leaders and others who met today said it was necessary to strengthen the Congress to oppose the BJP.

Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, former Punjab CM Rajinder Bhattal, former minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, ex-MP Sandeep Dikshit, ex-Haryana speaker Kuldeep Sharma, MA Khan, PJ Kurien and Shankersinh Vaghela among non-G23 leaders who attend the meeting

In a statement issued later the leaders said, “We believe that the only way forward for the Congress is to adopt a model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all levels. In order to oppose the BJP it is necessary to strengthen the Congress. We demand the Congress Party to initiate a dialogue with other like minded forces to create a platform to pave the way for a credible alternative in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.”

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The statement was signed by G-23 leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari, Prithviraj Chavan, Shashi Tharoor, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Vivek Tankha and Raj Babbar.

Other non-G23 leaders who attended the meeting at Azad’s residence today were Patiala MP Preneet Kaur, former Punjab CM Rajinder Bhattal, former minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, ex-MP Sandeep Dikshit, ex-Haryana speaker Kuldeep Sharma, MA Khan, PJ Kurien and Shankersinh Vaghela.

The leaders side-stepped the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s leadership of the party, distancing from the stand Sibal took recently by demanding that Sonia step back and let someone else lead the party.

The meeting venue was also changed from Sibal’s to Azad’s residence today to give a clear signal that the G-23 leaders wanted to strengthen the Congress through constructive suggestions to the party leadership, a line G-23 leaders Azad and Anand Sharma took at the Sunday meeting of the Congress Working Committee which reaffirmed its faith in Sonia despite election losses.

The leaders said they discussed party defeats in Punjab, UP, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and also the continuing exodus of workers and leaders.

Azad is likely to meet Sonia with the suggestions.