Rahul Gandhi should continue to lead Congress: Lalu

IANS  |  Patna 

Hours ahead of a review meeting to discuss the RJD-led Grand Alliance's routed in the polls in Bihar, jailed on Tuesday advised to not resign from the post calling his offer "suicidal".

"Rahul's offer to resign is suicidal. Opposition parties had the common goal to dislodge BJP but failed to build a national narrative. The result in a particular election can never alter the reality in as diverse and plural a country as India," said in a tweet.

The RJD President, who is undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Ranchi after being convicted in fodder scam cases, was reportedly disturbed for last few days after his party's poll rout in and

However, he asked to "continue to lead the Congress".

said that if the appointed a non-Gandhi as its president, it would be accused of being a Gandhi family "puppet". "Why should Rahul give such an opportunity to his political rivals?" he said.

Referring to humiliating defeat of the Opposition parties in the elections, the said the opposition should admit that the resounding victory of the was its collective failure and should introspect on what went wrong.

He said the opposition parties failed to synchronise their strategies and actions leading to the absence of a national narrative for the public.

"No clear prime ministerial candidate emerged from the opposition against Narendra Modi. The opposition could not choose one 'dulha' (groom) for its 'baraat' (wedding procession)," he pointed out.

Lalu Yadav said that the opposition should have collectively projected as its prime ministerial candidate. "There was nothing wrong in regional parties bargaining for more seats, but they should not have made the strategic blunder of not projecting someone without a national perspective as their prime ministerial candidate," he said.

"Laluji understands the importance of Rahul Gandhi and his family in leading the It was he who defended and backed Sonia Gandhi, when the issue of her foreign origin was raked up by the RSS and the BJP. Congress minus Rahul Gandhi will be party without the glue to hold it together," said.

said Lalu has rightly advised Rahul Gandhi. "If the opposition is keen to counter the BJP and defeat it, Rahul Gandhi should continue to lead the Congress and the Opposition," he said.

--IANS

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First Published: Tue, May 28 2019. 12:36 IST