After senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad was denied Rajya Sabha nomination, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi tried to pacify him by giving him the number two position in the party. Sources said the move has failed to pacify Azad, who had refused to take the offer.
According to sources, Azad met both of them on Sunday after a phone call from Sonia Gandhi and discussed issues related to the party.
Sources said Azad was offered a position in the organization which could be number two in the party hierarchy, but the veteran leader refused to accept it.
Azad, who was denied a Rajya Sabha seat at the last minute, is troubled by the affairs of the party. And, has shown no interest in the organization and has reportedly told Sonia Gandhi that “newbies should work as it is a generational change in the party”.
Azad and his supporters are also angry with the way the party is functioning in their home state of Jammu and Kashmir and neither Azad nor his supporters participated in the recent state-wise ‘chintan camps’. It clearly shows that all is not well. His supporters want him to be the face of the party in the state.
The Congress denied berths to Anand Sharma and Azad in its ten-candidate list for the Rajya Sabha and nominated Imran Pratapgarhi instead.
Sonia Gandhi contacted Ghulam Nabi Azad and sources said the move was an attempt to douse the fire and quell any dissent.
Azad was one of the main proponents of G-23 and is one of the vocal voices within the party regarding reforms.
There is also tension in the party units in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan over the nomination of outsiders to the Upper House. Party leaders are questioning the move, but the chief ministers have not said anything against the choice of party candidates. Elections are to be held in both the states next year.
Congress stalwarts such as Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Veerappa Moily were not in the list of Rajya Sabha candidates, and all three were expected to be nominated, but got ticket loyalists.
Loyalists are mostly GenNext leaders, but Mukul Wasnik and P. Chidambaram found a place. This has led to discontent within the party and even angered many in the youth brigade.
A hopeful party spokesperson from Rajasthan, Pawan Khera tweeted, ‘There may be some flaws in my penance. Responding to his tweet, Nagma, a former actress who has been in the party for a long time, replied, “I have been missing Imran bhai in my 18 years of work.”
Hinting at her distress, Nagma had tweeted, “Sonia ji our Congress President personally committed to include me in the Rajya Sabha in 2003/04, when I joined the Congress party at his behest, We were not in power then. It’s been 18 years since then, he hasn’t got any opportunity. Mr Imran has been accommodated in RS Fram Maha, I ask if I am less qualified”.
read all breaking news , today’s fresh news And IPL 2022 Live Updates Here.