NEW DELHI: The BJP on Monday took potshots at the impending elevation of Congress vice-president to the party’s top post following the Congress Working Committee (CWC) approving the schedule for election. The BJP again questioned internal democracy in the Congress.
“Rahul Gandhi was on record calling for democratic process for appointment of office bearers in the party. He had tried to conduct primaries for youth wing of the party. One wonders what kind of internal democracy from the grassroot level to fill new party president has been undertaken as had been envisioned by Rahul,” BJP vice-president Vinay Sahashrabuddhe told The New Indian Express.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also took a dig at Rahul. He told a news channel that campaigning by the Congress vice-president in Gujarat would yield the same result as the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Rahul didn’t even know how to sit properly in a temple. Commenting on his imminent elevation, Adityanath told a news channel that during a recent visit to a Varanasi temple, the Gandhi scion had sat in a wrong posture, which was pointed out by the priest.
“In dynastic Congress, performance and capability do not matter. Despite a disastrous track record, Rahul's elevation as the next Congress president was a foregone conclusion. The timing of the elevation is curious. It seems Sonia Gandhi wanted to pass the leadership to son Rahul before another impending defeat in Gujarat, which would have made it embarrassing for the Congress to reward him after a defeat,” BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao told The New Indian Express.
JD(U) leader K C Tyagi stated the Congress is now a sinking ship.
“The Congress party has a history of 132 years. Now the party has more or less same strength as that of the AIADMK. Congress has seven MLAs in UP against 11 of the Apna Dal. Congress is left with no organisational structure; besides, there is no ideological consolidation. Congress is a sinking ship, which is now getting a new captain in Rahul Gandhi,” Tyagi told The New Indian Express.
The Samajwadi Party, however, welcomed the Congress CWC’s decision, with party leader Rajesh Dixit saying that it’s a good sign that leadership of the party is passing into young hands.