Former Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad lashed out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over the party's consistent electoral failures, claiming unwillingness within the party to address the issues, while pointing out that there's a lack of competence at the top leadership.
Speaking exclusively with ANI, Ahmad took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi and said, "Even if Rahul Gandhi wants, he still can't take Congress below the 2nd position. The reason is that every other party is only in one state."
Shakeel Ahmed claimed that Rahul Gandhi is "uncomfortable" about collaborating with popular, veteran leaders.
"There are many leaders in Congress who have been politicians long before Rahul Gandhi became one. The day Rahul Gandhi ji won his first election, I won my fifth election. I believe he is uncomfortable sitting with those who don't think of him as their boss. I have felt this for a long time, but when you stay in party you don't say such things," Ahmad told ANI.
He also alleged that Rahul Gandhi has a sense of superiority because of his Nehru-Gandhi lineage.
"I used to tell him don't do this, don't do that. I think he used to feel offended that someone is telling me these things; I belong to the Nehru-Gandhi family. He feels that everything is given to Congress by his family," he said.
Ahmed also alleged, "There is no internal democracy in the Congress party...In the Congress party, whatever Rahul Gandhi says is final."
The former leader said that many Congress leaders who are "disappointed" do not raise their voices because they want to secure their next generation's future in the party.
"There are many leaders in Congress who are disappointed, but their next generation has joined Congress. So they are in Congress even after facing humiliation," he said.
When asked about Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's rift with the party's leadership, Shakeel Ahmed said, "I wanted vote for Shashi Tharoor (for the post of Congress President). But when I saw that the loyalists of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were seeking votes for Kharge ji. I voted for Kharge Sahib against my will as I did not want to waste my vote," he said.
Tharoor has clearly signalled that there are some "issues" with him and the party, and he would like to discuss them with the party's leadership.
"Whatever issues there are, I would have to discuss them with the party leadership, and I look forward to the opportunity to do so. I'm not entering into this issue in public at all," he said, earlier in the day.
Tharoor has missed a key strategy meeting of the party to discuss the upcoming Kerala assembly polls, indicating his displeasure over the party's functioning. His absence came a few days after he was reportedly 'ignored' by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the party's "Mahapanchayat" organised in Kochi, Kerala, on January 19.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
