"Sycophancy And Chamchagiri": Jaiveer Shergill On Quitting Congress

The Congress no longer has "people's interest" in mind and decisions are influenced by a "self-serving interests" of a coterie, said Jaiveer Shergill, one of the most articulate spokespersons of the party who quit yesterday.

The list of young Congress leaders rushing for the exit has been growing, as the party keeps postponing its long-promised reforms, which many have been waiting for.

Today, the party postponed the internal elections process that was to begin on September 21 and pushed it back by more than a month. Insiders said it was to allow more time to change Rahul Gandhi's mind about participating in the elections.

Mr Gandhi, who quit the party chief's post in the aftermath of the 2019 general elections debacle, has reiterated his refusal to head the party again.  Critics, though, say he is involved in the key decisions and thereby, enjoys a position of power without responsibility.

"The decision-making in the Congress is influenced by a self-serving interests of a cosy club of PAs... coterie and a cabal," Mr Shergill told NDTV in an exclusive interview today.  "The decisions are no longer made in terms of electoral wins and losses... of the party attracting voters or not. It seems the top leadership has become immune to the interests of the people," he said.

"I don't come from a political family. I joined through a talent hunt programme. It pains me to say that today the currency of sycophancy and  cheerleading are heavy on people who have merit, capability and immune to the valid inputs of well-meaning leaders of the party," he said.

Asked if he tried to communicate these concerns to the top leadership, to any of the Gandhis, Mr Shergill said he has not been "lucky enough to get a one-on-one audience". "I have been seeking time for the past one-and-half years," but didn't get a chance as he refused to join the lists of sycophants, he said.

There is a saying among insiders in the party, he said. The line in Hindi roughly translates to, "For some people the Congress is their home, and for others, their home runs because of the Congress".

"The people who express dis-satisfaction, disappointment that the party is not moving in the right direction, are in the former category," he added.

Asked if the future of the Congress lies in moving away from the Gandhi family, he said, "Let me be very candid. The public is not even concerned who is the leader of the Congress". What matters to the people, he said, is whether the Congress is an alternative.