Sibal to Gandhis: Allow someone else to lead Cong

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Tuesday reiterated the need for reforms in the party, saying it is time the Gandhis step aside from the leadership role for a new leader. In an interview, Sibal said he is neither surprised by the Congress’ Assembly poll drubbing in the five states nor the Congress Working Committee’s reaffirmed faith in Sonia Gandhi’s leadership.

“The Gandhis should voluntarily move away because a body nominated by them will never tell them that they should not continue to hold the reins of power,” the 73-yearold leader, who is among the members of rebel group called G-23 said.

In 2020, Sibal was a signatory to a letter written by 23 Congress leaders to Sonia calling for sweeping reforms in the party including a ‘full time leadership’ which is active on the field, elections to the CWC and an institutionalised leadership mechanism to guide the party’s ‘revival’.

Slamming the Grand Old Party’s decision to hold a chintan shivir (brainstorming session), Sibal said,”The leadership is living in a cuckoo land if it is not aware of the reasons for the party’s decline even after eight years.”