The Congress must expedite the process of finding a full-term president to arrest the growing public perception that the party is “adrift and rudderless”, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Sunday.
Tharoor also said that he certainly thinks Rahul Gandhi has the “mettle, capability and aptitude to once again lead the party”, but if he does not wish to do so then the party must “take action” to elect a new chief.
His comments assume significance as they come just ahead of Sonia Gandhi completing one year as interim chief on August 10, with the party yet to find her successor.
“I certainly believe we should be clear about our leadership going forward. I welcomed Sonia ji’s appointment as interim president last year, but I do believe it’s unfair to her to expect her to carry this burden indefinitely,” Tharoor told PTI in an interview.
That is precisely what the Congress needs to urgently address by expediting the process of finding a full-term president, through a participatory and democratic process that will offer the winning candidate a legitimate mandate and the credibility that will be indispensable in ushering in much needed organisational and structural revival of the party, Mr Tharoor said.
Rahul Gandhi has also displayed tremendous foresight and vision, been a constructive voice that has offered critical inputs and has shown an impressive capability to really understand the aspirations of the people of this country during these challenging times, Mr Tharoor said.
“I hope he will continue doing that, whether as president or in any other capacity of his choosing,” he said.
A reluctant Sonia Gandhi had taken over as interim chief on August 10 last year after Rahul Gandhi resigned taking responsibility for the party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha election.
