"Not What Congress Can Do For You, But...": 'Dissenter' Ahead Of Crucial Meet

Ahead of a key internal meeting of the Congress today, senior party leader Vivek Tankha -- known to be one of the G-23 leaders who gave a call for sweeping organisational changes in the party -- tweeted an appeal to "rebuild the idea of India again".   

Fifty-seven leaders are expected to attend the meeting of the Congress Working Committee – the party's highest decision-making body -- this evening.  

Sources said five leaders, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will not to attend the meet, where discussions are expected on advancing the organisational elections tentatively scheduled for August-September.

"Time to think ! Not what party can do for you , but what you can do for the party. Appeal to CWC , re build the idea of India once again. We hv talent & reach. What we need is a collective endeavour. Let's do it. We can do it," Mr Tankha tweeted hours before the meeting.

The Congress meeting is being held in the wake of yet another crushing defeat of the party in the state elections and a louder call for change. The defeat has revived searing criticism of the Gandhi family and demands for a complete overhaul and leadership change.  

On Friday, the dissident leaders had met at the home of veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's home to discuss the way forward, sources said.   

There was even a buzz about all three Gandhis – Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stepping down from all party posts. But this has been hotly denied by many within the party.

Two years ago, the G-23 wrote an explosive letter to the party's interim chief Sonia Gandhi, demanding organisational elections and accountability. Many saw it as a nudge to Rahul Gandhi, who, critics say continue to call the shots within the party without holding any post.

This time, the Congress has faced its worst defeat not only losing power in Punjab, one of the three states it rules on its own, but also losing the dominance it enjoyed in Goa and Manipur, where they emerged as the single largest party in the 2017 elections. In Uttar Pradesh, it lost five of the seven seats in won in 2017 and had it voteshare dwindle to a 2.4 per cent.

Critics have apportioned the most of the blame to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who were seen as being ineffectual in controlling the year-long internal feud in Punjab and failing to control the slide and defections in Goa and Manipur.