Congress leader from Punjab and Amritsar MP Captain Amarinder Singh has said that was time for Congress president Sonia Gandhi to step down and hand over the reins of the party to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra.
He also said that at the age of 70, it was obvious that Sonia was exhausted, tired and wants to change.
“I have worked with Sonia ji since 1998. I found her a really good leader. She is nearly 70 years old and I am 74. The time has come for a new generation to emerge. She has worked very hard. She is working in the whole country. Obviously she is exhausted, tired and wants to change. I think it’s only fair if she wishes to handover,” he said.
He was asked if the party has been harmed by the simultaneous presence of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at the top of the Congress hierarchy.
“It will be only fair if she wishes to hand over (party reins),” the former Punjab chief minister said.
In response to a question, Singh said Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi “will also emerge” (as a good leader) once given power and responsibility.
“I have worked with his (Rahul’s) father (late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi). He was also like this. Rahul will also emerge (as a good leader) in due course,” the Congress MP from Amritsar said.
The question of handing over the baton came up after the recent assembly poll defeats in four states. Some Congress leaders, including Singh, have been seeking that Rahul takes over the party’s reins.
“Rahul also has had his share of experience in the past few years. Everyone is not a born leader, Rahul has emerged as a good listener. He is not one of those who says this is the way it’s done. He listens and then comes up with a solution. He is just like his father Rajiv Gandhi,” he said.
Even leaders Digvijaya Singh and Satyavrat Chaturvedi had expressed similar sentiments following the party’s rout in the recent polls.
