rediff.com: Days of 'tall' leaders in Cong are gone: Prasada

Dissident leader Jitendra Prasada feels that the days of tall leaders in Congress are gone and the leadership has to see ''reality'', restore inner party democracy and devise a collective leadership.

Three days after throwing his hat in the ring for the Congress president's election, Prasada appeared relaxed even as he was busy on telephone directing his supporters and shaping his strategy for the November 12 poll.

He was unsparing in his criticism of the leadership, but was hesitant to take the name of Sonia Gandhi in his hour-long interview to PTI when he talked of the decline of the party, especially in the last one and a half years under her rein.

The dissident leader, who said he would ''fight unto finish'', appeared to be holding his punches for the later part of the campaign on issues like the party's ''failure'' as the main opposition.

''Times have changed. The Congress has been changing and has to change according to the circumstances. We had great leaders who had an emotional relationship with people of the country. Those days have gone. We have to see the reality'', he said.

Asked whether Gandhi did not fit the bill of a ''tall leader'', he said ''you can draw your own conclusions''.

Prasada said the party had to be worker-oriented and had to function from down below instead of being run from the top.

Rejecting criticism that his challenge to Gandhi would weaken the party, he said there had been contests for the top post even in the past and even Pandit Nehru's candidate got defeated in a party presidential election.

''There was a contest last time also. The party did not break up. On the other hand the elections will strengthen inner party democracy'', he said.

Asked whether he would call for return of former Congressmen to the partyfold, Prasada said it was a matter for the Congress Working Committee to decide but he felt that ''those committed to the cause of Congress... if they come back, the party will gain strength''.

He dismissed as ''absolute lie'' that he was getting support from those outside the Congress in his fight against Gandhi. ''My fight is within the Congress and it will remain in the Congress'', he said adding that he was a loyalist for the last 30 years and would not seek outside support.

The dissident leader strongly disagreed with the view that the issues raised by him were akin to those raised by leaders like Sharad Pawar who were expelled from the party.

Prasada made light of the claim of Sonia loyalists that there was no coterie in the party. ''The workers will decide whether there is a coterie or not in the organisational elections''.

''The media has already identified the coterie'', Prasada quipped when asked to identify those in the coterie.

Asked whether by referring to a coterie he was suggesting that the leader was incapable of taking decisions, he said that he had already made his position clear in his agenda paper ''Why I am a candidate'' and had nothing more to add.

He sought to refrain from commenting on the performance of the party in Parliament and other related issues saying that he was contesting only the party's organisational elections.

''I am not filing a charge-sheet against the functioning of the party. The worker is aware of the situation prevailing in the party'', he said adding that neither he was against ''any individual'' nor was his action motivated by ''personal ambition''.

To a question, Prasada said he did not think he was breaking any ''tradition'' by deciding to contest against a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family. He also said his candidature could not be construed as a challenge to the first family in the Congress.

''I am aware that the family has a prime place not only in the party but also in the country'', he said, however, adding that Congress has always been setting examples.

He said he was in the fray as he wanted return of ''old days of strong inner party democracy'' through a ''vibrant and responsive'' Congress at a time when communal forces were spreading their tentacles in the country.


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