Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has met the leader of the party’s G23 faction. They met after a group of rebel leaders said they “do not have faith in Rahul Gandhi”. At the same time, the group also reiterated its old demand for change of leadership.
Since the party’s humiliating defeat in the recently concluded assembly elections in five states, the Congress rebel group, the G23, met for the first time on Wednesday and, as expected, made headlines.
Congress’s Shankersinh Vaghela, who attended the G23 meeting at the residence of party stalwart Ghulam Nabi Azad, reiterated the call for reforms in the party leadership, saying he “does not have faith in Rahul Gandhi”.
Vaghela told News18, “We do not have faith in Rahul Gandhi. Today Ghulam Nabi Azad will meet Sonia Gandhi over our demands. A new leadership should come. We want the betterment of Congress. Other leaders will join us soon.”
Rahul Gandhi meets G23 Group leader
On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met senior leader Bhupinder Hooda, who is himself a part of the G23 group. According to CNN-News18, sources with knowledge of the events of the G23 faction said that Hooda told the descendants of Congress that he was not in favor of splitting the party.
The G23 leaders, who have been quite vocal about their demand for reforms in the party’s leadership, said after the meeting that “the only way forward for Congress is to adopt a model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision-making at all levels”.
Senior Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, who is part of the rebel G23 faction, told News18 that “one person, an able person, can bring about a change. It will make the organization efficient. We are in Congress. Congress is loyal.”
Ghulam Nabi Azad is likely to meet party president Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath on Thursday. However, sources said that the timing of the meeting between Ghulam Nabi Azad and Sonia Gandhi has not been decided yet.
G23 calls for ‘collective and inclusive leadership’
After finishing the meeting on Wednesday, G23 leaders said the only way forward for the party was to adopt a model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision-making at all levels.
“We, the following members of the Congress Party, met to discuss the disappointing outcome of the recent assembly elections and the frequent exodus of both our workers and leaders,” a joint statement by Congress G23 leaders said.
‘Stop the interference of Facebook and Twitter in the electoral politics of democracy’, appeals to the government of Sonia Gandhi
We believe that the only way forward for the Congress is through a model of collective and inclusive leadership and decision making at all levels.
Meanwhile, in another development, former Union Minister Veerappa Moily has distanced himself from the G23. Moily said the G23 has moved away from “perceived intent”.
“I signed his memorandum calling for reforms,” Moily said, adding that it cannot be institutionalized or “questioning the leadership on the streets.”
,