Cracks have started to appear in the Congress ahead of the G-23 meeting today. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel took an indirect dig at Kapil Sibal, who had argued that the Gandhi family should step away from leadership of the Congress in an interview to The Indian Express, which was published on Tuesday morning. "Congress is the Congress of every house, Congress of every house. But some people want to make it Congress of 'dinner' and 'bungalow'. Once come to UP and see how the leadership is fighting. All those who kept talking about the destruction of Congress were erased," he tweeted.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was more direct in his criticism. "Kapil Sibal isn't a person from Congress culture. He's a renowned advocate who entered Congress. Sonia ji and Rahul ji have given him a lot of chances. It is expected from a person who doesn't know ABC of Congress to give such statements," Gehlot told news agency ANI.
Congress's G-23 leaders will meet at Kapil Sibal's residence on Wednesday to discuss the situation in the party in the aftermath of its embarrassing loss in the assembly elections in five states and the CWC's endorsement of Sonia Gandhi's continuance as president.
Sources close to the Group of 23 leaders said they have also invited Congress leaders who don't constitute the bloc but feel changes are required, including at the leadership level, to revive its electoral fortunes.
The group, which has been critical of the leadership, had written to Sonia Gandhi in 2020 demanding an organisational overhaul.
The decision to convene a meeting of the G-23 came on a day when Sonia Gandhi sought the resignation of Congress presidents of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa following the party's dismal performance in the assembly elections.
