The Congress party saw another high-profile exit on Saturday after the joint secretary in-charge of the party’s student wing – National Students’ Union of India, Ruchi Gupta quit the Congress party due to the way party functioned and also for the delaying organizational changes.
According to the reports, Ruchi Gupta, considered to be a key aide and confidante of Rahul Gandhi, resigned from her post as NSUI’s national in-charge and from the party. Gupta has blamed the party’s general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal, another close confidante of former party chief Rahul Gandhi.
In her message, Gupta has stated that Venugopal is responsible for continuous delays in organizational changes and the matter cannot always be escalated to the level of the party president. Reportedly, Gupta was disappointment over the delay in the approval of state unit appointments.
“Dear all, I am writing to you to announce that I have resigned. As you know, important organisational changes have remained pending for very long: the national committee took 1 year 3 months; state president orders have remained pending for months. These continuing delays by the GS(O) are damaging the organisation but in the present circumstances, it is not possible to escalate repeatedly to Congress President,” she wrote in her resignation message.
Congress needs to be rebuilt, Rahul Gandhi should take the leadership, says Ruchi Gupta
Taking to Twitter, Gupta said it was regret to announce that she has resigned from the party. “I am grateful to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi for giving me this opportunity”, she added. Interestingly, she also shared her article published in The Hindu, titled ‘Chalking out Congress’ enduring revival’.
I regret to announce that I have resigned. I am grateful to Rahul ji and Sonia ji for giving me this opportunity.
— Ruchi Gupta (@guptar) December 19, 2020
Congress has a crucial role in the Indian polity today but… My views in the Hindu today (jpg) https://t.co/urmBBdLNcl & Express last year https://t.co/RwlSSW7lo7 pic.twitter.com/rHYsCKxlDQ
In her article, Ruchi Gupta has stated that the Congress party needs to immediately address issues of party organization, address grassroots level connect and establish a strong top-down leadership. Further, Gupta has written about how the Congress is still politically relevant and its revival is dependent on the way the party is rebuilt.
“None of the above can be done without a strong and interventionist Congress President. Political parties — the Congress in particular — are defined as much by internal conflicts as external. Politics is dynamic with constantly opening and closing pathways to power,” Gupta wrote.
It reads, “Without a strong leader at the top to take and enforce decisions, the Party will continue to be pulled in different directions,” Gupta wrote. “Moreover, only the active facilitation of the Congress President can create space for substantive deliberation required right now — both as a political process to draw everyone together and to form a political platform expansive enough to accommodate the Congress’s historical big tent positioning.”
She added that the leadership to the party can only be provided by Rahul Gandhi. “If any other leader had to emerge in the party, he would have done so over the last year. Instead, different factions prefer status quo rather than allowing one group to ascend and upset the balance of power for everyone. Organisational power thus continues to reside in Mr Gandhi. The way then to revive the Congress and consolidate this power is one and the same — it’s full and frontal exercise,” she wrote.
