Congress party is not orphaned: KC Venugopal

Responding to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's concerns for the party, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Monday said the party has not been orphaned.

Tharoor had expressed frustration over the delay in the appointment of a new Congress president, saying that it was giving an impression of "drift and indecision".

Talking to media today, Venugopal said: "Shashi Tharoor has expressed the sentiments of a common Congressman. It is, however, not an orphaned scenario."

Venugopal said: "The Congress president has stepped down. When he (Rahul Gandhi) did that, he offered to run the office until a replacement was found. He said this in the last Working Committee meeting."

"He (Rahul Gandhi) has been involving himself in the day to day activities of the parties," he said.

Tharoor had lamented the disarray in the party, saying that it was "not worthy of a grand national party" that the Congress is.

"What we are seeing is a level of disarray which is not worthy of a grand national party that we are. It will end the moment a quick efficient decision is taken and then I believe a democratic process should take place that will open up the election to other candidates," said Tharoor.

Demanding that someone should be given authority to make decisions, he said: "First thing is to appoint an interim president or authorise someone to take decisions.