Leadership non-issue: Deo; Calls for freeing Cong of oligarchs

Amid divergent voices on the leadership issue, a senior Congress leader today dismissed it as a "non-issue" and pitched for urgently dismantling the "oligarchy" in the party to make it fighting fit.
Former Union minister V Kishore Chandra Deo said that the "oligarchs" in the party are the ring of leaders around the party president and vice president, many of whom have developed a "vested interest".
Deo told PTI that these oligarchs have been raising the question of leadership to deflect attention from the core issue of their "guilt and shortcomings" which has led to electoral debacle of the party.

"The core issue is misuse of their positions by the oligarchs, distorting views of the party president and Vice President and misguiding them", Deo said adding that the party must be freed from their "stranglehold".
The issue needs to be handled and dealt with on an urgent basis. It has been long overdue, he said making a strong pitch for dismantling of the oligarchy, which is trying to pass the buck to Rahul Gandhi for the problems faced by the party.
Deo's refrain was that "when we talk of leadership, I don't think we should narrow it down to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi".

"There is no conflict of interest between the mother and son. It is a non-issue as far as I am concerned. It does not matter whether Sonia Gandhi is President or Rahul Gandhi as they are one."

Citing an instance of the "guilt and shortcomings", he referred to the problem faced in his home state of Andhra Pradesh, which was divided ahead of the Lok Sabha polls last year.
He alleged that AICC leaders charged with the responsibility of the state, were responsible for the debacle in the state as they gave "distorted picture" to the leadership. How is Rahul Gandhi responsible for what has happened in Andhra Pradesh, he asked.

Deo declined to specify individual leaders forming part of the "oligarchy", but said that the party leadership know who they are.
"Many of these are senior leaders in important position. There may be some good people," he merely said.
He said that there was need to act against the oligarchs as there was a growing feeling among workers that those who have let down the party were being rewarded.