Tested Rahul ‘rested,’ Sonia to lead Cong revival

New Delhi: In a desperate bid to revive the moribund party, Congress President Sonia Gandhi is all set to move on to the centre-stage, relegating AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi to a second position, for now.

Sonia feels the task on hand is far too big and she cannot afford to gamble by entrusting the revival work in Rahul’s hands alone.

Sonia is taking an active role by guiding her party MPs in raising important issues. She nudged the party to take-up in a big way the situation in Gaza in both the Houses of Parliament. Sonia also directed Shashi Tharoor to take the government to task for not passing the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (Amendment) Bill on Thursday.

It is learnt that Sonia held consultations with top Congress office-bearers on the causes for the electoral debacle.

The Antony Committee is now going into not only the reasons for the debacle but would also suggest the roadmap for the party revival.

According to party sources, when Modi Government enjoys a honeymoon period and the Congress cannot seriously target it, Sonia wants the party to look inwards and focus on the party revamp. Immediate focus of the Congress is on the Assembly elections due in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and J&K. It is crucial for the larger plans of the Congress to retain its identity as pan-Indian party that is capable of taking on the BJP, like no other party can.

Sonia is drawing up a plan for galvanizing the party down to the grassroots level. The party will undertake membership drive till the end of this year, in a bid to inject new blood and attract new talent that can be prepared for the tasks ahead.

Taking a cue from the BJP, where Amit Shah, who was given the charge, had worked silently to build up the party from the grassroots level in the largest Hindi-heartland State of UP, the Congress, too, is focusing on party’s revival in UP. The Congress has realized that party revival in UP is central to the resurrection of the party at the National level.