Congress can't move forward if people from within weakening it, says Mallikarjun Kharge

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], November 19 (ANI): Hitting at "senior leaders" who are blaming Congress leadership for the party's poor performance in Bihar assembly election, and recently concluded bye-elections in many states, Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge, on Thursday said the party can't move forward if people from 'within are weakening it' by attacking leadership.
Kharge, while speaking on the occasion of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's 103rd birth anniversary at Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee in Bangalore said that it was the decision of the Congress Working Committee to appoint Sonia Gandhi as interim president and she should hold the post until COVID-19 pandemic is over.
"It was the decision of the Congress Working Committee that Sonia Gandhi should continue as interim president until elections are held. Elections in some states are yet to start, and the COVID-19 pandemic is also not over yet. We can't have more than 100 people gather in one place. And yet, people are talking about the change in leadership," said Kharge.
He added that the internal rumblings in the party have rocked its standing in the nation.
"It is painful to see some senior leaders speaking about the party and its leadership. On one hand, the BJP-RSS are after us, and on the other hand, the internal rumblings have rocked the party. We can't go forward if we have people weakening the party from within. If our ideology weakens, the party will be doomed," he said further.
The Rajya Sabha MP added that leaders who are blaming the party leadership after losing the election should own up to their share of responsibility in the defeat, as they were the local leaders, and demanded a ticket from the party.
"Some leaders when they lose elections they blame Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. They are the leaders in their state and constituency. At the time of distribution of tickets, they demand tickets for their people. Then they say it's not their responsibility if the party loses election if the tickets were to given to their people. Around 90 per cent of tickets are given to people for whom the local leader demanded. But after the party loses, they begin saying that there is no unity in the party, or tickets were not given correctly," Kharge added. (ANI)