Kharge ropes in G-23 group leaders
keen to close ranks before Assembly, Lok Sabha polls
The Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has decided to put the dissensions within the party to an end and wants all leaders to close ranks. As part of this strategy efforts are being made to utilize many of the G-23 group leaders in party's activities and roped in internal meetings. While Kharge has already been keeping Shashi Tharoor in good humour and made him part of the steering committee, the services of others are also being put to use.
who were pressing for organisational reforms and a full-time party chief basically because they had a problem with Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, are apparently no longer viewed as dissidents. Three prominent leaders of the G-23 grouping; Manish Tewari, Prithviraj Chavan and Anand Sharma, were part of Kharge's team of three dozen leaders to address a series of 'save democracy' campaigns.
It transpires that Kharge had consulted the three Gandhis; Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi & Priyanka Gandhi, before evolving this strategy. For Kharge, he wants to send a message to Karnataka voters that he brought unity within the party. He has also been making strident efforts to ensure unity in Karnataka Congress and ensure the victory of the party at the hustings. Kharge himself belongs to Karnataka and these polls are crucial for the Congress party.
Kharge had identified 35 cities as part of the campaign- Democracy Disqualified – and chose 35 leaders to address press conferences there. If Manish Tewari was fielded in Thiruvananthapuram, Prithviraj Chavan was deputed in Bhopal and Anand Sharma in Bengaluru.
There is a strong possibility that Manish Tewari may be used as party spokesperson. Though his name was always on the party’s list of spokespersons, the communication department stopped fielding him for the party's official press briefings. Earlier, Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Haryana) and Mukul Wasnik (Maharashtra) were given key party posts indicating that the high command doesn't want dissensions to grow.
