Sonia Gandhi breaks ice with dissenters

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 19

Signs of internal bickering in the Congress dimmed on Saturday with party president Sonia Gandhi breaking ice with the leaders who recently dissented in public and signalling a conclave along the lines of Shimla and Panchmarhi to strengthen the organisation and address ideological issues.

“We are all one big family and will together strength the party. We will meet more often and will have more conversations,” Sonia told a group of 19 leaders, including her loyalists and seven dissenters who wrote to her this August seeking organisational overhaul.

Five-hour meeting

We are all one big family and will together strengthen the party. We will meet more often & have more conversations. —Sonia Gandhi, Cong Prez

At the discussion lasting five hours, Gandhi associates AK Antony, Ashok Gehlot, Pawan Bansal and Ajay Maken urged Rahul Gandhi to lead the Congress from the front, to which the latter said to a round of applause, “I am ready to take over any responsibility the party gives me.” With this utterance, Rahul shed his long-held position about non Gandhi becoming the Congress chief, a position he held since resigning from the post after the Lok Sabha debacle in May last.

Rahul, however, added, “This issue should be left to the internal electoral process which is under way.”

The meeting, sources said, was cordial and principally shaped as “an ice breaker“ between Sonia and the rebels whom she had denied a physical interface for four months since they wrote to her in August.

Today’s was in fact the first physical meeting Sonia held with leaders since the COVID-19 outbreak in India.

The dissenters articulated the suggestions they had earlier flagged in their letter to Sonia Gandhi.

No dissidence: Bansal

There is no dissidence in the party. Everyone gave suggestions on strengthening the party. —Pawan Bansal, AICC Treasurer

All of them spoke, including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Prithviraj Chavan, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor and Vivek Tankha, and said their intention was to “strengthen the Congress to take on the BJP.”

Sonia assured the letter writers of a continuum of dialogue and meetings to resolve their concerns, with Azad later urging for “honesty and integrity in the resolution process.”

Speaking to The Tribune on the meeting outcomes, AICC Treasurer Pawan Bansal, later said, “Congress president and Rahul Gandhi spoke of unity and of the Congress being a family. There is no dissidence in the party. Everyone gave suggestions today on strengthening the organisation to fight the BJP which is undermining the idea of India.”

Chavan, one of the letter writers, however, said “This was the first of the many meetings that will be held to address issues being raised by leaders. A ‘chintan shivir’ will also be held.”

It’s learnt that Sonia told the gathering she would call a conclave like the ones in Shimla and Panchmarhi (held when Congress was in the opposition) soon as COVID abated. The suggestion on the conclave, sources said, came from Manish Tewari.

It’s further learnt that Sonia spoke of the organisational election process being underway and agreed to leaders’ advice that the working committee should meet more often.

The meeting was crucial as it came in the backdrop of Congress setbacks in Bihar, Telangana and more recently Goa.

Prominent absentees from the meeting were Kapil Sibal from the dissenters’ side and KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala from the side of Gandhis.

Priyanka Vadra was also in attendance, along with Ambika Soni, P Chidambaram and Kamal Nath.

Who said what

Sonia Gandhi: Will plan a ‘chintan shivir’ to expose BJP’s governance failures and debate ideological issues. Will hold more such meetings in the future.

Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Makan, Pawan Bansal, AK Antony: Rahul Gandhi should take over as Congress president

Rahul Gandhi: Ready for any role the party gives me

P Chidambaram: The Congress has become a General Secretary specific party. We should strengthen the Pradesh Congress Committees more. General secretaries should be available in the party office

Anand Sharma: General secretaries should spend more time in the field

Ghulam Nabi Azad: We thank Sonia Ji for heeding our concerns and hope for sincere resolution thereof.

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