Former Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed has lashed out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over the party’s repeated electoral failures, claiming there is an unwillingness to resolve issues within the party, while also pointing to the lack of competence in the top leadership.
In an exclusive conversation with ANI, Ahmed took a dig at Rahul Gandhi and said, “Even if Rahul Gandhi wants to, he cannot bring Congress down from the second position. The reason for this is that all the other parties are present in only one state.”
Shakeel Ahmed claimed that Rahul Gandhi feels “uncomfortable” in collaborating with popular and experienced leaders. “There are many leaders in the Congress who have been politicians long before Rahul Gandhi entered politics.” Ahmed told ANI “The day Rahul Gandhi ji won his first election, I won my fifth election on the same day. I believe he is uncomfortable sitting with people who do not consider him as their leader. I have been feeling this for a long time, but when If you are in the party, you don’t say such things,” he said. He also alleged that Rahul Gandhi has a sense of superiority because of his Nehru-Gandhi lineage.
He said, “I used to tell him don’t do this, don’t do that. I think he felt bad that someone was telling me all these things; I am from the Nehru-Gandhi family. He feels that his family has given everything to the Congress.”
Ahmed also alleged, “There is no internal democracy in the Congress party…What Rahul Gandhi says is final in the Congress party.” The former leader said many Congress leaders who are “frustrated” do not raise their voice because they want to secure the future of their next generation in the party.
He said, “Many leaders in the Congress are disappointed, but their next generation has joined the Congress. That’s why they remain in the Congress even after facing insults.”
When asked about the differences between Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and the party leadership, Shakeel Ahmed said, “I wanted to vote for Shashi Tharoor (for the post of Congress president). But when I saw that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi loyalists were demanding votes for Kharge ji, I voted for Kharge saheb against my wishes because I did not want to waste my vote.” Tharoor has clearly indicated that there is something between him and the party. There are “problems”, and he would like to discuss them with the party leadership.
“Whatever the issues are, I will have to discuss them with the party leadership, and I am waiting for the opportunity to do so. I will not speak publicly on this issue at all,” he said earlier in the day. Tharoor’s absence from an important strategy meeting of the party held to discuss the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections reflects his displeasure with the functioning of the party. His absence comes days after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reportedly ‘ignored’ him at the party’s “mahapanchayat” held in Kochi, Kerala on January 19.
