'Defeat tells us Congress isn't working correctly': Sandeep Dikshit on party's debacle

As Congress retains Sonia Gandhi as its President even after facing severe losses in the bygone assembly elections, the members of the rebellious G-23 group are not satisfied with the party’s current organisational structure. Amid the national debacle of the grand-old party, senior Congress leader and member of the G-23 group Sandeep Dikshit on Tuesday alleged that the party’s high command’s strategy of ‘delaying a decision to just ensure that they hold the reins of the party is not working anymore'.

"We have been saying that the strategy to postpone a decision, sit back and think that till you are in control of Congress that's all you need to ensure– I think that time has gone now," said Dikshit while deliberating on Congress’ consistent debacle. "Problem with the Congress is that they knew this is about to happen and they also knew what should be done, but they did nothing. State leadership and people managing elections are completely inefficient," he added.

'Defeat tells us to our face that we are not doing things correctly'

"I have only one hope that subsequent to this defeat, people will actually realise that this defeat is something that tells us in our face that we are not doing things correctly and we need to do a lot of work regarding our leaders, campaigning and synchronising our state governments. We actually need to work on new strategies," he stated criticising the party’s failed policies.

The Congress leader further ridiculed the party’s ‘Chintin Shivir' (Session to reflect back), and claimed that ‘nobody speaks their minds out in a larger group.’ "Nobody dares to speak truth to the people (party leadership), as they are afraid of them and many of them are part of the problem," Sandeep Dikshit added.

Punjab Debacle was a result of infighting: Cong's Sandeep Dikshit

Propounding that the massive loss in Punjab was a consequence of the 'internal conflicts', Sandeep Dikshit, who is the son of former Delhi Chief Minister, late Sheila Dikshit, stated that Aam Aadmi Party took benefit of the infighting in Congress and redrew its strategy.

"From freebies, they changed their strategy and started promising stable government after what happened in Congress," Dikshit said.

Dikshit praised veteran Congress leader Kapil Sibal for his recent comments calling for a leadership transition in the party, saying that the amount of efforts he has made for the party is remarkable.

"Kapil Sibal is not a field person. People say go in an election and then talk. That is not his job. He fought cases for Congress, he fights for every political leader and I think the amount of service he has done to the party is tremendous," said Dikshit. "What will probably happen now is that they (high-command) will dismiss him (from the party for his remarks). Very cheap attempts were made (earlier when he made similar remarks). Some people were sent to throw stones at his home last time. I ask whether this is the way you treat people who do so much for the party. It is pathetic," he asserted while condemning the attack on Kapil Sibal.

This comes ahead of the G-23 meet. The senior party leaders who are miffed with the party for not making significant changes in the party structure despite election drubbing, will deliberate on the current decision of retaining Sonia Gandhi as President.

(With ANI Inputs)

Image: ANI, PTI