Kapil Sibal questions Congress leadership on poor performance in Bihar, says it may be ‘business as usual’

New Delhi: Disappointed by party’s poor show in Bihar Assembly polls as well as by-polls in several states, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has again underlined the need for reforms in party’s organisation and structure.  Sibal called out reluctance and unwillingness of the party to address issues lading to its flagging fortunes in elections and said that if adequate measures are not taken, party’s graph will continue to decline.

In an interview with Indian Express, the Congress veteran said, “people don’t consider the grand old party as an alternative and it’s time the party does serious self-introspection”.

Referring to the Congress’s poor performance in Bihar as well as in by-polls across the country, including in states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh where the party is still a strong force, Kapil Sibal has said, “We are yet to hear from the Congress party their views on our recent performance in Bihar and in the by-elections. Maybe they think all is well and that it should be business as usual.”

Talking about the constant poor performance of the Congress since the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Sibal said there is an urgent need for introspection for the party’s leadership, If for six years the Congress has not introspected what hope do we have for introspection now? We know what is wrong with Congress. Organisationally, we know what is wrong. I think we have all the answers. The Congress party itself knows all the answers.

Sibal further added, “Since there has been no dialogue and there seems to be no effort for a dialogue by the leadership and since there is no forum to express my views, I am constrained to express them publicly.”

Kapil was among the 23 senior leaders who had written a “dissent letter” in August to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi. On this letter, Sibal said, Since there has been no dialogue and there seems to be no effort for dialogue by the leadership and since there is no forum to express my views, I am constrained to express them publicly. I am a Congressman and will remain a Congressman and hope and pray that Congress provides the alternative to a power structure which has subverted all the values that the nation stands for.

Backing Mr Sibal’s views, Congress’s Karti Chidambaram wrote on Twitter: 

It’s time we introspect, ideate, consult & act @INCIndia https://t.co/Rz4mtA6eu1

— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) November 16, 2020