New Delhi: Amidst renewed speculation about elevation of Rahul Gandhi as the Congress president, HRD Minister Smriti Irani has said that any such development will be the ‘achche din’ for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“It is achche din for us,” Irani, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election against Rahul Gandhi from Amethi, told TOI when asked about his anointment.
To a question on why she chose to attack Rahul Gandhi so much, she said, “I am asked by journalists, so I say.”
Irani is not the only BJP leader to take a jibe at the reports suggesting Rahul's much-awaited coronation in near future.
Yesterday, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal had said that any such decision by the grand old party will only strengthen the BJP’s ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ campaign.
“That only strengthens our case for a 'Congress-mukt Bharat',” he said.
Calling the Congress a ‘sinking ship’, party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said, “Though it’s an internal matter of the Congress, but if such a decision is taken, the country will move ahead in the direction of a Congress-free India.”
Party spokesperson Sambit Patra dubbed the decision as a clear indicator of propagating ‘dynasty politics’.
“Till yesterday, Sonia Gandhi was referring to Prime Minister Modi as a ‘shahenshah’ and today, we are hearing the news of her shehzada’s (prince) coronation. The entire nation now is watching what the ‘shahenshaiyat’ (dynastic politics) actually is,” he said.
There was high speculation yesterday surrounding elevation of the 45-year-old Gandhi family scion as the Congress president, but the party dismissed any such immediate possibility even as Sonia Gandhi, who was in her parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli, remained tightlipped on the issue.
"We are a national party. There are certain procedures...When it comes to Sonia and Rahul we all wholeheartedly accept (their leadership)... We all want Rahul to take over, as and when (it will happen), we will make a proper statement," party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said.
Yesterday, reports were doing the rounds that the decision to elevate Rahul may be announced at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) within ten days. Sources also said Rahul’s elevation will be accompanied by a major organisational shake-up.
Rahul was made party vice-president in January 2013 at the Jaipur Chintan Shivir. Sonia has been at the helm of the party since March 1998 and has created a record of sorts.
