New Delhi: A day after the tumultuous Congress Working Committee (CWC)meeting, the dissenters are miffed because in the din the contents of the letter were not discussed at all.
As tables ‘turned’ on the dissenters over the so-called “letter bomb” on Monday during the CWC, the majority of the members focussed on the timing of the letter connecting it with the loyalty factor. And, in all this, the contents of the letter were not discussed in the seven-hour long meeting as the four signatories, who were part of the CWC meeting, were cornered by the loyalists.
In the dramatic events which unfolded on Monday, the dissenters thought that the contents of the letter would be discussed in detail. This did not happen as the deliberation went on the timing and purpose of such a letter.
During the CWC, some leaders asked the letter signatories why the questions were not raised in the internal party meetings, the signatories replied that there were no meetings held. In this reply, the General Secretary Organization gave a detailed list of meetings that took place during the year.
The content of the letter was not discussed in the meeting except the paras referred by Sonia Gandhi in her statement which was read by K. C.Venugopal at the onset of the Monday meeting.
While the signatories maintained that the matter ended after it was taken up by the Congress working committee meeting, but after the meeting on Monday the signatories assembled at Ghulam Nabi Azad’s residence to discuss future strategy. This has not been disclosed, but sources say that discontent is not yet over and they are waiting for a moment and timing again.
Former Union Ministers Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, Mukul Wasnik, Anand Sharma and Kapil Sibal reached Azad’s residence on Monday evening and met for more than an hour, but it was not clear what transpired there.
In the Congress Working Committee meeting, Sharma, Azad, and Wasnik were cornered by Gandhi loyalists, with even former Union Minister Ambika Soni targetting Azad, and demanded action, saying ‘that he has not been without power for decades, so what problem does he have now’, sources said.
The dissenters, meanwhile, maintained that the letter was not against the Gandhis but for reforms within the party, and it was not to question the leadership of Gandhis. But some of the signatories are saying that the letter should not have been leaked to media. They say that there was only one copy of the letter, thus casting aspersions on the other side for leaking the letter.
One of the strongest advocates of the party reforms, Sanjay Jha said in the early morning Tuesday tweet: “This is just the end of the beginning.”
Meanwhile, the Congress is likely to appoint a panel of senior leaders to assist interim chief Sonia Gandhi till she is at the helm of affairs, say sources. Though the party maintains all is well but the discontent, evinced by a letter seeking a leadership change, may not have been fully doused.
Sources say that the party may appoint a panel of four persons to take important decisions.
The Congress Working Committee, the party’s highest decision-making committee, which met on Monday, in the wake of the letter seeking change, has authorized the Congress President to affect “necessary organizational changes” that she may deem appropriate to take on the challenges.
“In the light of the above deliberations and conclusions, the CWC unanimously requests Sonia Gandhi to continue to lead the Congress until such time as circumstances will permit an AICC session to be convened,” party General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal said, after the key meeting.
But after the events, Sonia Gandhi has emerged stronger as the dissenters did not find wide support which they had anticipated.
Not dissenters but ‘proponents of revival’, say Cong letter writers
The “dissenters” do not seem to have given up even after the Congress Working Committee decided on the continuation of Sonia Gandhi as President for the time being, with the signatories to the letter, that had sought a “full-time and visible leadership”, insisting they are actually “proponents of revival” of the party as the action now shifted to social media.
Party’s Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha has slammed those who are calling the 23 senior leaders who were signatories to the letter “dissenters”.
“Friends we are not dissenters but proponents of revival:: the letter was not a challenge to leadership but a parchment of action to strengthen the party:: universally truth is the best defense whether it be Court or Public Affairs:: history acknowledges the brave & not the timid,” he said in a tweet.
Responding to this, former Union Minister Anand Sharma, who was also a signatory, wrote: “Well said. The letter was written with the best interest of the party in our hearts and conveying shared concerns over the present environment in the country and sustained assault on the foundational values of the Constitution.”
Stressing that India needs a “strong opposition” to confront the BJP, Sharma, in his tweet, maintained that “suggestions for party’s renewal made insincerity is not dissent” and that he wished all colleagues had read the letter.
Mukul Wasnik, another of the signatories, too joined the chorus.
“Well said. Sooner than later those who saw the letter as an offense will also realize that the issues raised are worth consideration,” he said.
Kapil Sibal too spoke out. “It’s not about a post It’s about my country which matters most,” the former Union Minister said.
More Congress leaders have joined the debate. Veteran leader Anil Shastri raised the issue of inaccessibility while P.C. Chacko said there should be a course correction in the leadership.
