New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday voiced her reservations over Rahul Gandhi's elevation as party president. "There are question marks over Rahul Gandhi's leadership qualities; Sonia should continue to lead the Congress," said Dikshit.
The 77-year-old veteran leader said under Sonia Gandhi there was a "comfort feeling" and that the party could rely on the incumbent president's "overpowering and very successful" leadership for its revival.
"I will not be able to give any idea what will happen or what will not happen. He (Rahul) could succeed. There is another point we must understand that the overpowering and very successful leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi is there. So there is a comfort feeling with her," Dikshit said.
Dikshit said Rahul's leadership qualities have not been fully tested yet and it would be good for the party if Sonia continues to lead it.
"I am yet to meet anybody who has any critical remarks to make about the leadership of Sonia Gandhi. I can say it with absolute confidence. Whereas (in case of) Rahul, of course, there is a question mark, there is skepticism because you have not seen him perform as yet," Dikshit said.
Dikshit's comments have come at a time when Congress appears divided on whether to anoint Rahul as president replacing his mother Sonia. Senior party leaders Amarinder Singh and Dikshit's son Sandeep had come out strongly against Rahul's elevation.
Dikshit's son Sandeep had earlier in April 2015 said that Sonia was the "leader" for "99 per cent of partymen" and she was needed at the helm now more than ever. Singh had said Sonia should "retain" Congress Presidentship and a generational change cannot be done "with a knife".
"There is a comfort feeling with Sonia Gandhi as she has done things which we would not have expected. She never accepted PM's post yet she made Congress win twice in general elections. So, that comfort feeling is there with her. She is a confident leader whom Congress can rely upon.
"That comfort feeling has yet to develop where Rahul is concerned," Dikshit said, adding it was too early to judge his leadership credentials.
Asked whether the party should accept if Sonia decides to step down, Dikshit said it was for her to take a call.
"She is not one of those who runs away from responsibility. I do not think she is the kind who does that. And when it comes to the survival of the Congress or the ideology of the Congress she is always there," she said.
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