Amid dissent in party, Acharya Pramod pitches Priyanka Vadra's name as Congress chief

Amid infighting within the Congress, the name of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has started cropping up once again for the top post. While Rahul Gandhi loyalists are pitching his name and want him to be at the helm of affairs again, others want an election to choose the leader of the party, even as they haven't clarified if they want a non-Gandhi at the top. 

On Monday, UP Congress leader Acharya Pramod claimed that crores of Congress workers across the country want Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to be the party chief so that she can initiate a people's movement against the unjust policies of the Central Government. Acharya Pramod has time and again pitched Vadra's name for the top post and has even claimed that she is more efficient than former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

READ | Amid Congress Infighting, Chidamabaram Says Party Has No Organisational Presence On-ground

Congress infighting out in open

Sibal, one of the 23 senior Congress leaders who had expressed dissatisfaction with the party's leadership in a letter a few months earlier, again raised probing questions after the debacle in the Bihar Assembly election and the bypolls. He contended that the people of the country "don't consider Congress to be an effective alternative". The former Union Minister alleged that there was a reluctance to address issues within the party as the Congress Working Committee is a "nominated body". Ex-J&K CM Ghulam Nabi Azad sided with Sibal & underlined the need for elections to the Congress Working Committee and the president post. Seeking major overhaul in the Congress' functioning, he said that the Congress must hold elections for its cadres from booth level till the national level. Former union minister P Chidambaram also echoed Sibal's opinion and said that election results have shown that Congress has no organisational presence on the ground. 

READ | 'Hurt sentiments of party workers': Gehlot attacks Sibal, affirms faith in Cong leadership

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot publicly slammed Kapil Sibal's criticism of the party. According to Gehlot, Sibal talking about Congress' internal issues in the media had "hurt the sentiments of party workers". Recalling that Congress had emerged stronger from various crises such as those seen in 1969, 1977, 1989 and 1996, Gehlot exuded confidence in the party overcoming the current lean phase also. Moreover, in a stinging attack, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that those speaking against the party are free to join another party and Salman Khurshid urged the internal critics to look within themselves for flaws and contended that they should be prepared for a long struggle rather than look for short cuts to regain power, or to air their grievances in public. 

READ | Karti Echoes Father Chidambaram's Call To Introspect On Congress' Bihar Loss; Backs Sibal

Earlier 'Letter' Crisis in Congress and leadership dilemma

It must be noted that dissenting voices had risen in Congress party a few months ago against the backdrop of the fight between Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan. Senior Congress leaders like Kapil Sibal and Ghulam Nabi Azad had then spoken openly against the Central leadership of the Gandhis, and 23 senior leaders had demanded robust reforms in the party writing a letter to this effect. However, interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was able to quash the rebellion and had assured party members of reviewing the raised demands. 

Congress has been in a leadership dilemma since Rahul Gandhi quit as party chief in the post-Lok Sabha 2019 debacle. This led to a barrage of resignations from various posts. Amidst a lot of turmoil with Priyanka Vadra also being considered, Congress finally went back to their safe option and named Sonia Gandhi as its interim chief. Recently, her tenure was again extended. While some loyalists have time and again implored 50-year-old Rahul Gandhi to take back the reins of the party, this has also been met with significant opposition. Moreover, prominent Congress leaders like Jyotiraditya Scindia, Khushbu Sundar have quit the party and joined BJP. 

READ | Ghulam Nabi Azad Backs Sibal & Chidambaram: 'Congress At Its Lowest, System Has Collapsed'