Congress at its lowest in 72 years, party’s structure has collapsed: Ghulam Nabi Azad

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has again underlined the need for overhauling of party’s structure including internal elections for party president.

He said that elections are paramount if Congress wants to become a national alternative.

Ghulam Nabi Azad’s critical remarks come close on heels of Kapil Sibal who raised questions on party’s performance in Bihar Assembly elections.

“Congress is at its lowest in the last 72 years. Congress does not have even the post of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha during the last two terms. But Congress won 9 seats in Ladakh hill council elections even as we were not expecting such a positive result,” Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

#WATCH | Elections are not fought from 5-star hotels. Problem with our leaders today is that if they get a party ticket, they first book a 5-star hotel. They won’t go to places where there’s an untarred road. We can’t win until we change this culture: Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress pic.twitter.com/qWFkYLaBXF

— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2020

“In order to revive Congress party and to make it a national alternative, it is important to conduct election on the block to the national level, there is a need to provide programme to the party and accountability is also must,” he added.

Azad asserted that their party structure has collapsed and there is a need to rebuild the structure.

#WATCH हमारा ढ़ांचा कमजोर है, हमें ढ़ांचा पहले खड़ा करना पड़ेगा। फिर उसमें कोई भी नेता हो चलेगा। सिर्फ नेता बदलने से आप कहेंगे कि पार्टी बदल जाएगी, बिहार आएगा, मध्य प्रदेश आएगा, उत्तर प्रदेश आएगा, नहीं वो सिस्टम से बदलेगा : गुलाम नबी आज़ाद, कांग्रेस pic.twitter.com/t8xwmXpWaR

— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) November 22, 2020

“Our party’s structure has collapsed. We need to rebuild our structure and then if any leader is elected in that structure, it will work. But saying that just by changing the leader, we’ll win Bihar, UP, MP, etc. is wrong. That will happen once we change the system,” said Azad.

Ghulam Nabi Azad however denied that there is rebellion in the party. He said that some leaders are looking for reforms, which will ultimately help in revitalizing the party.

Not long ago, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has also asked for an urgent need for introspection for the party’s leadership over Bihar rout. Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal were among 23 leaders who wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi demanding sweeping changes in the party.