A senior Congress MLA from Rajasthan has openly questioned the party leadership and blamed the lack of democracy within the party for its poor performance in the elections in the State. The Congress lost all 25 Lok Sabha seats in the recent election and had done poorly in the Assembly election last year.
In an interview to a Hindi newspaper and a news agency, Bhanwar Lal Sharma, six-time MLA from the Sardarshahr Assembly constituency in Churu district, reportedly described Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi as “MD of Congressi-circus” and those close to him as “jokers.” He said there was no democracy in the Congress and only one family controlled the party.
The rebellion-of-sorts comes just a few days after a Congress leader in Kerala called Rahul Gandhi a “joker,” and was suspended from the party.
In the case of Mr. Sharma, the State unit has sought a clarification. “We spoke to Mr. Sharma and he told us that he had not spoken anything against the Central leadership.
We have sought a clarification from him and in case we find any indiscipline, action will be taken,” State Congress president Sachin Pilot told presspersons here. Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Rameshwar Dudi was present.