Four days ahead of a dinner she is planning to host for various Opposition leaders in an effort to forge unity among various non-BJP parties, Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi said here on Friday that all the Opposition parties should come in “larger interest” of the country to take on the Narendra Modi-led ruling NDA in the 2019 lok Sabha polls.
Interacting with Aroon Poorie at the “India Today Conclave-2018”, Gandhi was both pragmatic and circumspect when she said: “ It is difficult for all the parties, including ours, to forge an understanding. Because, we can come together at the national level on some issues or matters relating to legislation. But, at the ground level, we are opponents. So there is lot of pressure on every party, including my party or the ones in West Bengal and other States. It is difficult task. But, I think if all of us think of a larger picture and if we think or really care for the country, we can rise about the State politics and come together at the national level”.
Alluding to the dinner planned for the Opposition leaders of various parties on March 13, Gandhi said: “I am no longer the president of the Congress. Yes. I am still the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary party” But I do have regular meetings with leaders of like-minded parties to see if we can together. In Parliament, especially in Rajya Sabha, there is good coordination among various opposition leaders. We are holding a dinner meeting with all the Opposition leaders”.
Asked as to what advice she had given to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Gandhi said: “He is now the Congress president. He knows what his responsibilities are. I am always there if he needs any sort of advice. I have tried not volunteer advice to my son. We are parents always try to keep our children under. But, it is not advisable”.
Asked if Rahul’s style of functioning was different from hers, Gandhi said: “Every leader of a party his or her own style of working. He has his style. I had my style. Both have the same goal of of implementing the policies of the congress. Rahul wants to revitalise the party by having younger people in his team even while not doing with elder people. He wants to have a balance of both younger and elder people.”
“India is very very young country. I agree with Rahul there. It is not going to be an easy task. I am sure he will be able to do the job. He always to have new people in his team. If you do not have younger and new people, how will the party is going to growIJ That is his argument. Very valid argument. Then you seniors in the party who say we have been struggling for the party for years. They are concerned as to what will happen to them.
“But, at the party’s standing committee meeting we had, Rahul said very clearly he strongly believes we need younger people in the party but that does not mean doing away with elderly people,” she said.
Asked if she would contest the 2019 lok Sabha, Gandhi said: “I will do whatever my party tells me to do”, she said.
On the possibility or otherwise of her daughter Priyanka Gandhi joining politics, Gandhi said: “Priyanka always comes out during the polls to manage electioneering work in my parliamentary constituency. At the moment, she is helping her two children prepare for their examinations. I do not know really at the moment if she will join politics in future. It will ultimately up to her whether to join politics or not”.