Capt backs Priyanka as Cong president

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 29

The chorus for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to succeed her brother Rahul Gandhi as the next Congress president is growing louder with Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh too joining in today. He said Priyanka was ideally suited to head the party which needed a dynamic young leader to rebuild it.

Edit: Congress at sea

“She has the intelligence and instinct to understand and relate to the needs of the nation, and also has the courage to take on any challenge and take the fight to victory. Given Rahul’s refusal to take back his resignation, Priyanka is a good bet to replace him as the new leader,” he said, confident that she would amass the support of party’s rank and file from across regions.

Capt Amarinder Singh, while describing Priyanka as the perfect choice, added that the decision would ultimately rest with the Congress Working Committee (CWC) which alone was authorised to take the final call.

Congress MP and former MoS Shashi Tharoor  had on Sunday said he “very much hoped” that Priyanka would join the leadership race. Prior to that, ex-minister Sriprakash Jaiswal had made the same point. Congress leaders backing Priyanka don’t seem constrained by the fact that Rahul has publicly said the next party  president will not be a Gandhi. “That is his (Rahul’s) view. That may not be the view of the CWC,” a leader said.

Congress spokesman Manish Tewari and Anandpur Sahib MP said, “These demands are reflective of Congress’ inner party democracy. The party officially articulates its position only on issues extrinsic to its functioning. On intrinsic issues related to party working, leaders are free to articulate their opinion.”

Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar said if Priyanka wanted to be Congress chief, she did not need to position herself for the same.

“But the question is whether any Gandhi will accept the post of Congress chief? If yes, it will be good. Otherwise the selection should not be a function of age. It should be a function of capacity and credibility.” He disagreed with Tharoor’s suggestion of an election to the post, saying: “Congress president should be chosen by consensus.”

The Tribune has learnt that a meeting of the Congress Working Committee to decide the next chief could be held after the Parliament session.