No confusion over leadership issue: Antony

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Apr 13 2015 | 10:22 PM IST
Amid conflicting voices within the party over elevating Rahul Gandhi as Congress President, veteran party leader A K Antony today said there is "no confusion" on the issue.
"Many a times it has been explained. We are not expected to explain it every day. There is no confusion," Antony said.
He was asked about the different voices in the party over the issue of elevation of Rahul and the recent remarks of senior leader Captain Amarinder Singh that the vice president should remain number-2 in the party for some time as Sonia is most suited to lead the Congress under existing circumstances.
Asked whether Rahul, whose sabbatical has now crossed over six weeks will come back or not, the party veteran said, "Don't worry about that--He will be there on 19th."
Congress plans a massive rally on farmers' issue particularly against NDA's land bill on April 19 which will be addressed by both Sonia and Rahul.
He refused to take further questions on the issue saying this is not an occassion to bring that subject here.
"Please do not bring other issues on this occassion. Because I wanted to avoid confusion that is why I told you. On April 19 rally, both Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will address the rally. It will be a massive rally," he said.
The party veteran made the remarks while addressing a joint press conference at the AICC with Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and former Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde after a meeting chaired by Sonia Gandhi to finalize celebration programmes of the party on the occassion of the 125th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar.
Asked to explain further on Amarinder's remarks about leadership, Kharge merely said,"Antonyji has already told you about it."
Antony, a Gandhi loyalist, had moved the resolution in Congress Working Committee meeting in Jaipur during party's Chintan Shivir in January 2013, to name Rahul as party vice president.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Apr 13 2015 | 10:22 PM IST

Next Story