Congress shouldn't have a 'puppet president', says Prithviraj Chavan

Chavan said the elected president should be assisted by leaders chosen by Congress workers in the forthcoming organizational polls in the functioning of the party

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday said the party shouldn't have a "puppet president", but one who has been duly elected.

Talking to reporters, Chavan said the elected president should be assisted by leaders chosen by Congress workers in the forthcoming organizational polls in the functioning of the party.

The former Maharashtra chief minister lamented the party hadn't held organizational polls for the last 24 years.

Asked about Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad resigning from the party, Chavan termed the veteran politician's exit as unfortunate.

Also Read: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari tries to create communal tension: Ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan

He said Azad was the party's senior most leader and a secular face.

Chavan, who is part of the 'G23' dissident group that had demanded internal reforms in the organization in a letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in August 2020, said the intention behind the confidential missive was to protect the party's interest and strengthen it, but the signatories were criticized and targeted.

Azad, a former Union minister, was a prominent member of the 'G23' bloc.

Also Read: Ghulam Nabi Azad quits Congress over Rahul Gandhi's 'immaturity', says major decisions taken by his PAs

He said the Congress would make a "historic blunder" if it doesn't come up with a good alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Chavan said maintaining a status quo in the party is not good for the Congress, which is out of power at the Centre since 2014. 

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