Cong V-P may take over as party chief after Diwali: Pilot

Organisational polls of the Congress are underway and the new president could take over shortly after Diwali. It is something that has been in the pipeline for long. SACHIN PILOT, Rajasthan Cong chief

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi may take over as Congress president shortly after Diwali, Rajasthan leader Sachin Pilot said on Sunday, stressing that the time had come for the party vice-president to lead from the front.

The Gandhi confidant also said the last names of leaders should not be treated as a disqualification in politics. It was the performance of a leader that ultimately decided his worth, as a surname could only take him so far, he said, adding that Gandhi’s elevation had been in the pipeline for long. “Organisational elections of the Congress are underway and the new president could take over shortly after Diwali. It is something that has been in the pipeline for long,” Pilot told PTI.

The Congress leader said the general sentiment in the party was that the time had come for Gandhi to lead from the front, favouring a balanced approach of a mix of the young and the old in the party. Asked if the party vicepresident’s sister Priyanka Vadra should also enter active politics, he said, “Though she belongs to the Congress, whether she should join active politics or not is her personal decision”.

On the issue of dynastic politics and accusations that the Congress promoted dynasties, Pilot said belonging to a political family might help initially but it could not guarantee progress unless backed by performance.

“Belonging to a family that has been in politics should not be treated as a disqualification,” said Pilot, son of late Union minister Rajesh Pilot. He said ultimately, success depended on performance. He brushed aside BJP criticism that Congress was promoting dynasties, pointing out that several people in that party too were from political families.

Asked if the time had come for a generational change in party the, the Rajasthan Congress chief said, “It’s not a question of making way; it’s a question of working together.”