‘Indecisive’ Congress looks back at Sonia for direction

JAMMU: The old guard in the Congress is looking up to Sonia Gandhi to become the interim President once again and resurrect the party despite the growing chorus in favour of handing over the reins to a young face.

The coming week may well decide what the final outcome will be as Congress leaders will gather in Delhi to deliberate on this issue.

Rapidly unfolding developments in Karnataka, Goa and even Madhya Pradesh have convinced the party leaders that this vacuum continue be allowed to continue.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is seen as one of the strong claimants for the post among the younger lot, said on Thursday that the party needs to ‘reinvent’ itself and the decision on the new President should come at the earliest.

However, the old guard vanguard Ahmed Patel, who is said to be firmly in command, is holding all the cards close to the chest and sees Sonia Gandhi as the only leader who can revive the rapidly disintegrating party. The deeply

entrenched old leaders have been rallying behind Sonia Gandhi even as her health is such that she can not assume the charge even temporarily, said sources.

Some of the senior leaders like Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and veteran leader Karan Singh have also come out openly in favour of ‘old making way for the new’.

Scindia said that this is a serious time for the Congress. In these desperate times, when the party is at the crossroads, a status quo or returning to the dynasty would be extremely detrimental to the party's future, cutting the umbilical cord with the past and the family is the only way out.

Another young leader echoed the same sentiment while speaking to IANS. The leader, who did not wish to be named, said that these are desperate times and any attempt to go back in time will have adverse ramification for the party.

Sources said that Rahul Gandhit is in no mood to listen and has distanced himself from the decision-making process. He is tilted heavily in favour of the young brigade.

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