Sonia likely to step down as Congress chief by October 15
Sonia Gandhi may step down from Congress presidentship, paving the way for Rahul Gandhi’s possible elevation when the party holds its internal elections by October 15.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-making body, approved on Tuesday the schedule for internal elections under which the party has to complete the exercise by October 15.
In her speech at the CWC meeting, Sonia exhorted partymen to strengthen the organisation and complete the organisational polls with “speed and sincerity”.
“We must strengthen our organisation. The ongoing organisational elections must be completed with the utmost speed and sincerity,” she said at the meeting.
At the meeting, Gandhi hit out at the Modi government for its overall failure in protecting the minorities, tribals, Dalits, women and the people of Kashmir.
She said that in just three years after the Modi government came to power, there is discord, provocation, growing confrontation, tension, fear and economic stagnation.
“Whatever success or progress this government has scored has come from programmes and projects that were started by the UPA government,” she said.
Gandhi said the government’s experiments and policies are characterized by poor planning and shoddy implementation and have proved disastrous for the country’s social and economic fabric. “It’s a matter of concern that there has been a rise in lynch mobs; there exists a close ideological affinity between these mobs and the ruling establishment,” a statement issued by the Congress president said.
She was particularly critical of Modi government’s handling of J&K situation which she termed as “the colossal failure of this government” as a number of jawans and civilians have lost their lives. She asked the government to correct its flawed approach and work to restore normalcy in the region.