Tug of war between young, old rocks Congress unity boat

Hyderabad: Though the Telangana Congress has been showing some unity among the top leaders after its defeat in Assembly general elections, the differences between the seniors and youngsters have been rocking the boat.

The seniors are apprehensive of the aggression of some young leaders and trying to control them. The youngsters have been making efforts to make their own mark in the party.

The developments in the All India Congress Committee have been widening the gap between them. With this the Pradesh Congress Committee leaders are ill at ease. Particularly the old timers of the party are expressing concern over the present situation.

The leaders are unhappy over the functioning of AICC as its leaders are differing with each other on various issues and this has been showing adverse affect on the State committees. They feel that a division of sorts has taken place among the leaders of the AICC which would weaken the organisational structure.

A senior leader of the party has agreed to the point that the party is divided between the loyalists of the party president Sonia Gandhi and her son and former president Rahul Gandhi. While senior leaders have owed their loyalty to Sonia, juniors have been following Rahul. Recent statements of leaders from both sections have been confirming the opinion, the leader said.

The leader observed that comments of leaders like Salman Khurshid and others have been exhibiting the insecurity of the seniors of the party. The party was unable to come out with one opinion on major issues.

However, in the PCC, the gap between the seniors and young leaders is widening day by day. The seniors have been opposing the priority given to young leaders, particularly those joined the party recently.

Some leaders said that the leaders who joined the Congress in the past few years were unable to understand the culture of the party and trying to impose their own views.

They said that leaders with rightist ideology have been making efforts to have their way in the party and to occupy higher posts. This has been damaging the secular fabric of the party.

The leaders said that few young leaders who have the support of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi have been trying to overtake the seniors and old timers of the party.