Ghulam Nabi Azad refuses to be 'no. 2' in Congress
What's the story
Veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has refused President Sonia Gandhi's offer to be in the number two position in the party. Azad denied the offer citing the "generation gap" in the party. Reportedly, the meeting between Gandhi and Azad took place a few days ago, before the party announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha election.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Notably, Azad's name did not feature in the party's list of Rajya Sabha candidates announced a few days ago. Azad is also a face of dissenting Congress leaders, dubbed "G-23," who had written to Sonia Gandhi in 2020 demanding an overhaul in the party's organization. Notably, Azad was the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha before he retired in 2021.
Details
What do we know about Gandhi-Azad meeting?
During the aforementioned meeting, Sonia Gandhi and Azad did not reportedly talk about the Rajya Sabha election. Azad was asked whether he would be comfortable working in the number two position in the party, ANI reported quoting sources. However, Gandhi did not explicitly tell him what role she had thought for Azad in the party.
Quote
Azad cited 'generational gap' while declining the offer
Azad reportedly told Gandhi that there is a "generational gap" in the party "between the youth running the party and us." "There is a difference between our thinking and their thinking. So the youth are not willing to work with the party veterans," he added.
Background
Gandhi trying to reach out to G-23 leaders
Gandhi has been reaching out to the dissident leaders since the party's Chintan Shivir last month. She has also accommodated many of these leaders in various party positions. Some other prominent G-23 leaders such as P Chidambaram, Mukul Wasnik and Vivek Tankha found their names featured in the Congress's list of Rajya Sabha candidates. However, Azad and Anand Sharma were denied Rajya Sabha tickets.