In a sign of taking on the Congress establishment, Sanjay Jha, who was removed as a Congress spokesperson last week, on Saturday declared himself as a candidate for a position in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-making body, if elections were held to the CWC.
The former banker-turned-Congress spokesperson, who changed his twitter bio to “sacked as National Spokesperson for writing India needs a reawakened and revitalized Congress”, has once again stirred the leadership debate within the party.
“As and when there are elections (hopefully soon) to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), I am throwing my hat in the ring,” Mr. Jha tweeted.
“As a hard-core Nehruvian, am committed to rebuilding the party to take on the formidable machine and efficient might of the BJP,” he added.
Internal debate
In August 2019, after Rahul Gandhi stepped down as party chief, the Congress had re-appointed Sonia Gandhi as an interim president. However, in the June 23 meeting of the CWC, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot asked Mr. Gandhi to take charge as the Congress chief once again in the midst of an internal debate as to how the Congress should articulate its opposition towards the Narendra Modi government.
Also read: Leadership issue returns to centre stage in Congress
Apart from “Team Rahul” members such as Rajeev Satav and K. C. Venugopal, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had told the CWC that “very few had the courage take on Mr. Modi like Rahul Gandhi did”.
Many party veterans, however, do not agree with such an assessment and are willing to challenge such it.
A section of the party, most notably Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor, is also pushing for an elected CWC and an elected party chief.
“While not many are willing to come out at this stage, Mr. Jha reflects the concerns of many Congress members who don’t see the party wedded to any one family but a set of principles, and ideology,” said a senior Congress Party member who did not wish to be named.
