If Rahul Gandhi is not taking reins of Congress, party should hold elections, says Shashi Tharoor

The Congress should hold elections for choosing the party president as well as members of the Congress Working Committee if Rahul Gandhi does not wish to take over as the party chief, Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor told News18.

On Sunday, the Congress said that Sonia Gandhi will continue as the interim president of the party till a procedure was implemented to elect her successor, PTI reported.

In an interview with News18, Tharoor, who has been advocating for elections in the party, said that a democratic process will be favourable for the Congress, especially when there is a “growing perception” that the Congress is “adrift and rudderless.”

“A participatory democratic process would significantly add to the incoming leadership’s credibility and legitimacy which, in turn, would be vital assets as they set about the significant organisational challenges associated with re-energising the Congress,” he said.

The party has maintained that electing a new president has not been possible due to the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain the infection.

Sonia Gandhi took over as the party chief after her son Rahul Gandhi resigned from the post in July last year as he held himself accountable for the party’s Lok Sabha election debacle and maintained that accountability...

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