Nobody is above party's discipline: Raghu Sharma slams Sibal after CWC meet

Senior Congress leader and Rajasthan Minister Raghu Sharma slammed Kapil Sibal after the Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi and said that nobody is above the party's discipline

Senior Congress leader and Rajasthan Minister Raghu Sharma slammed Kapil Sibal after the Congress Working Committee meeting in Delhi on Saturday and said that nobody is above the party's discipline, adding that partymen should put up their suggestions before High Command at the correct platform.

"Do such talks strengthen Congress? If you hold a press conference on your own and say outside the things that you should say before the leadership, will it strengthen the party? Discipline is important. What needs to be done, will be done by High Command but I don't agree with someone speaking at the road," he said while referring to the G-23 leaders who questioned the Congress leadership in the aftermath of the Punjab crisis.

"Speak and put suggestions before High Command at the correct platform. But if you consider yourself above the party's discipline then this is not right," said Raghu Sharma.

The party's poor performance in various subsequent assembly elections has led to a group of leaders, including the party veterans, called G-23, questioning the leadership.

Congress announced that elections to elect a new party chief will be held next year between August 21 and September 20.

The announcement was made by party general secretary KC Venugopal after a meeting of the Congress Working Committee.

"Election of the AICC president will be held between August 21, 2022, and September 20, 2022," Venugopal said.

He also said that the party is going for a massive training programme from top to bottom."Workers and leaders at all levels will be trained in party ideologies, policies, expectations of Congress workers, grassroots messaging, election management, failure of the present government and countering propaganda," he said.

The membership campaign begin from November 1 till March 31 next year. The elections for the block committees will begin from April 1, 2022.

Senior Congress leader Ambika Soni said on Saturday that everyone in the party is of the opinion that party leader Rahul Gandhi should become the party president.

While speaking to ANI, Soni said, "Everybody agreed unanimously, whether he (Rahul Gandhi) will become (the party president) or not is up to him. Everybody is of the opinion that Rahul Gandhi should become the party president."

Her remarks came after the conclusion of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held in the national capital today.

Sonia Gandhi was made interim president by CWC after Rahul Gandhi stepped down as the president of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) accepting the responsibility of poll debacle in the 2019 general elections.