New Delhi: Congress’ dissident group G-23 leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday met party chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence, highlighting the activities of the bloc, which called for party reforms and “inclusive and collective leadership”. reiterated its demands. ,
After the meeting that lasted for nearly an hour, Azad told reporters that the talks revolved around suggestions to strengthen the party and strategy to fight the upcoming assembly elections unitedly and forging partnership with like-minded regional parties.
After the Congress’s defeat in the recently held five-state assembly elections, Azad had told TOI that “leaders like him cannot see the Congress die… the situation is dangerous”. A group of 23 leaders, who wrote to Sonia in 2020 demanding comprehensive reforms in the party structure, have held several meetings in recent days over their demands, even issuing a joint statement this week .
Sensing the need and vulnerability to create a united face ahead of elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the party chief this week also approached dissidents, calling Azad ahead of the G-23 meeting on Wednesday.
After talking to Sonia on Friday, Azad said, “Mrs. Gandhi keeps on discussing with leaders to strengthen the organization. A meeting of the Congress Working Committee was held a few days ago and suggestions were sought on how to strengthen the Congress party and what to do. because of the loss [in five assembly polls. I had also given my suggestions.”
After maximalist demands from dissidents, like Kapil Sibal who called for the Gandhi family to step away from the party leadership, Azad’s visit to 10 Janpath indicates that the bloc may not push for an extreme position and is ready to accept the olive branch extended by the leadership. However, sources said the G-23 demand for creation of a Central Parliamentary Board is still on the wishlist. The loyalists have so far been averse to the suggestion.
Though Azad rebuffed queries about G-23 seeking a change in leadership, asking “where is the vacancy”, it remains to be seen how the issue pans out in the run-up to the organisational polls scheduled for September. Some members of the dissident bloc are keen that the leadership be divided- like the Gandhi family taking the leadership of Parliament, while the party reins go to a senior leader outside the family, or vice versa.
A mass leader in the G-23, former chief minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda, met Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, in what was seen as a preliminary contact for reconciliation between the dissidents and the establishment.