Cong has to be decisive in resolving leadership issue in Assam before state polls: Congress MP

Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi has said the party has to be decisive in resolving the leadership issue in Assam before the 2021 assembly election as "last-minute patch-work" will not work. Bordoloi's comments came after he was purportedly caught on camera telling in-charge of the party affairs in Assam, Harish Rawat, that the "AICC is notorious for indecisiveness". Their conversation was picked up by mics of television channels before a press meets in Guwahati.

According to sources, Bordoloi, the Lok Sabha MP from Nawgong, told the party that a "proper plan" has to be put in place for the Congress to fight the ruling BJP in the state. "You have to take a decision now. You have to make a prospective plan. Last-minute patch-work would not be good for the party. You have to resolve the leadership issue now," he told PTI.

Bordoloi said the Congress stood a good chance of ousting the BJP from Assam but has to put its own house in order before that for fighting them in the assembly elections. "Congress has all the potential. We can form a government. But before that, we should take decisive action and not be indecisive. We can defeat the BJP," he said.

"The AICC is notorious for indecisiveness" and should act fast if it wants to contest the 2021 elections seriously, the Congress leader told AICC general secretary Rawat a few days ago. The development comes when the party high command is working on a leadership change in Assam. Bordoloi is also throwing his hat in the fray and so is former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who has claimed that he can lead the path well in the 2021 assembly polls.

The video of Bordoloi's purported remarks was doing the rounds a day after 12 party MLAs wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, demanding that Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Debabrata Saikia be replaced. Bordoloi is purportedly heard telling Rawat in the video, "The countdown has started…If the Congress wants to seriously take up 2021 elections…because AICC is notorious for indecisiveness. They don't make decisions at all. That should not happen."

"If you give the charge to someone after two-three months, nobody will be able to deliver. If you have to do something, do it now. Immediately. Because we have to create a narrative, mobilize resources, decide the strategy…ad hoc strategies won't work now. We will have to do micro-management," Bordoloi is heard saying. Bordoloi, who has been a four-time legislator in Assam and a former president of the NSUIO in the state, said whatever he told his party leaders about resolving the leadership issue was pertaining to only Assam.

"I am a loyal soldier of the party and Congress is in my DNA. But I want the party to be decisive and decide on the leadership issue in the state. Whatever I have told my leaders pertains only to Assam state and not about nationally," he further said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)