The rift within the Congress party worsens as leaders clash over the decline.

Young leaders have blamed the Congress’ previous government for its massive downfall in Sonia Gandhi’s meeting with the Congress MPs.

On Thursday, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi chaired a meeting with the party MPs, where younger leaders had massive arguments and sharp criticism of the party’s last government for its huge downfall since. The rift within the Congress has worsened since it lost power to the BJP in 2014, and the recent war of words between former Union Ministers, who were part of the Manmohan Singh government, and members of Rahul Gandhi’s team has only further highlighted the divide. 

Manmohan Singh remains silent in the four-hour Congress meeting:

The younger leaders urged the ministers in the UPA-2 government to take the blame for the Congress’ rapid decline. Some of them also urged Rahul Gandhi’s reinstating as Congress President citing no other strong candidate. Sources also claimed that the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who served for two terms, did not utter a word in the four-hour video meeting.

Senior Congress leaders question Rahul Gandhi’s charge to attack the PM Modi-led government:

In the meeting, veteran Congress Rajya Sabha members flagged their concern about the party’s failure to capitalize on the lapse shown by the PM Modi-led government. They said that the party’s charge was too weak and disorganized to make any impact against the current government. They insisted on more introspection and consultation. Congress’ charge has been led by the Wayanad MP, Rahul Gandhi and this, prompted younger MPs to object, with the 45-year-old Rajiv Satav saying that the introspection should begin from the Congress’ 2014 humbling loss. Rahul Gandhi quit as Congress President after the party’s devastating loss in the last year’s election. His mother Sonia Gandhi took over the reins as party’s interim chief. Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal said that the Congress will need complete introspection as to know why the leadership failed.