Did Not Anticipate Seniors Turning To Sonia Gandhi, Says Rajeev Gowda
Many surprised with Sonia Gandhi’s appointment as Congress interim president, says Congress MP Rajeev Gowda
Days after Sonia Gandhi was appointed as the Congress party’s interim president, Congress MP Rajeev Gowda said that many within the party were rather surprised by the announcement.
“I did not anticipate that they (senior leaders) would turn to either Madam (Sonia Gandhi) or Rahul Gandhi,” Gowda told BloombergQuint in an interview.
The Congress Working Committee’s decision comes after Rahul Gandhi resigned as the president after the party’s debacle in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls earlier this year. The grand old party was expected to choose its president outside the Gandhi family after Rahul Gandhi had said that no one from his family should succeed him as the party leader.
My suggestion, therefore, was for a range of other leaders who would suit my description of what the party needed.Rajeev Gowda, MP, Congress
The Congress MP, however, said that there is a possibility that party seniors in their wisdom would’ve felt Sonia Gandhi was the “best person” at this time to preside over the transition.
With a number of state elections on the radar, it was appropriate to turn back to Gandhi as the interim president, Gowda said. “The signal is very clear that the party is in safe, trusted and experienced hands.”
With Sonia Gandhi back at the helm, the Congress is looking forward to major organisational changes in the near future, Gowda said.
According to Gowda, Rahul Gandhi’s move to step down from the key post was intended at making room for a fresh set of leaders while holding veterans equally accountable for the Congress’ electoral loss.
When asked what the new president of the country’s largest opposition party should bring to the table, Gowda said someone young, energetic, well-networked and experienced would be best fit to take on the challenge of addressing the Congress’ problems in the longer run.
Watch the full discussion here: