'Leadership change not an issue': Dissenting Congressmen softening stand on Gandhis?

G-23 leader Ghulam Nabi Azad met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday, after which he said leadership change is not an issue as the Congress Working Committee unanimously decided that she should continue as party chief till internal polls.

After meeting Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence, Azad told reporters that he gave her suggestions to strengthen the party and held a discussion on how to take on rivals "unitedly" in the forthcoming assembly polls.

The meeting comes days after the Group of 23 pitched for an "inclusive and collective leadership" in the Congress.

Kapil Sibal, another G-23 leader, had said recently that the Gandhis should step aside and pave the way for someone else to take over the reins of the party.

Also watch: Kapil Sibal pulls no punches: 'Congress in cuckoo land... don't want ghar ki Congress'

Asked about Sibal's call for the leadership change, Azad said, "There is no question of leadership (change). When Mrs Gandhi had offered (to quit) at the CWC, then all of us asked her to continue. There will be a discussion on that when the elections take place in the party." Party workers will decide at that time who will be the president, Azad said, adding, "The post of the party president is not vacant today.

In the working committee, when she had offered to quit, "all of us, be it from any group or thinking, said Mrs Gandhi you continue, we have no problems, but there are some suggestions we had given to strengthen the organisation," Azad said.

"Nobody has said Mrs Gandhi should just quit, let me tell you very clearly that we had decided in the working committee," he told reporters.

His remarks assume significance and indicate a softening of stance of the G-23.

Azad said he had a very good meeting with the party president and the discussion centred on how to prepare and fight unitedly the forthcoming assembly polls to take on rival parties--national or regional.

Playing down the meeting, he told reporters that it "may be news for you but we keep meeting the Congress president at various intervals".

"Mrs Gandhi keeps having discussions with leaders to strengthen the organisation. A few days ago, the working committee had met and suggestions were asked as to how to strengthen the Congress party and what were the reasons for the defeat (in five assembly polls). I had also given my suggestions," he said.

However, it is not possible to record and remember all suggestions, he added. The members of the G-23 have held a flurry of meetings over measures to revamp the party.