Union minister and Congress veteran P. Chidambaram on Friday created a storm by saying that a person other than a member of the Gandhi family could become the president of the party.
The statement flummoxed the Congress, which is yet to recover from the debacle in the Lok Sabha polls and the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana.
“I think so… someday yes,” said Chidambaram when he was asked in an interview with a news channel if a non-Gandhi could become the Congress president. Asked about a timeline for this, he quickly added, “I do not know.”
The former Union finance minister said the top Congress leadership, including party president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul, should speak more often and put in action a timetable that will enable the party to play the role of a true Opposition. He pointed out that the morale of party cadres is pretty low.
“I would urge them to address more rallies, urge them to meet the media… I agree that Congress (cadres’) morale is pretty low. But I don’t agree that the morale cannot be lifted. Direction cannot be given… I am sure the Congress leadership has a timetable,” Chidambaram said.
He noted that Sonia was numero uno in the party and the decision at Jaipur in January 2013 to make Rahul Gandhi the vice-president was perhaps the correct decision.
The senior leader, however, said the reorganisation of the party was due for the larger task of making it an effective, strong and robust opposition to the NDA government. “I would urge again that the timetable be shortened and we get on with the job of reorganising the party and get on with the job of being the true Opposition,” he said.
Chidambaram dismissed suggestions that the leadership of the Congress was not even talking to party workers. “That is not right. I do see them at regular intervals. They do talk to me and I assume that there are others. I would urge them to talk to the public,” Chidambaram said.
The Congress veteran dismissed Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s remarks that the disclosure of names of holders of foreign bank accounts used to stash black money could embarrass the Congress. Reports have suggested that the list of such names could include a former UPA minister.
