Congress at historic low, needs 24x7 leader: Sibal

›

Our intent is to revive the party. We want to be partners in its revival. That is our commitment to the party constitution and the Congress legacy, and the absolute conviction that the Congress needs others to rally around

KAPIL SIBAL, Congress leader

NEW DELHI: The Congress party needs “leadership [that is] 24x7” at a time when it is at a “historic low”, senior leader Kapil Sabil said on Thursday in his first interview since he and 22 other leaders signed a controversial letter seeking sweeping reforms within the party.

The letter sent to interim party president Sonia Gandhi on August 7 called for a “visible”, “effective” and “full-time” leader; elections at all levels in the party; and establishing an institutional leadership model to collectively guide the party, among other steps.

“If people have access to the letter, they will know it is not an attempt to belittle anyone, including the Gandhi family. In fact, we have appreciated the services rendered by the leadership thus far,” Sibal told HT in an interview.

“Our intent is to revive the party. We want to be partners in its revival. That is our commitment to the party constitution and the Congress legacy, and the absolute conviction that the Congress needs others to rally around, to oppose a government which has destroyed the very foundations on which the Indian

Republic is built. “The Congress party is at a historic low and the election results of 2014 and 2019 reflect that,” he said. The letter led to a stormy session of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). In the seven-hour meeting on Monday, there was heavy criticism of those who signed the letter, and the focus of discussion was largely on its timing, and its leak, rather than on substance.