Updated: December 22, 2020 8:20:57 am
In a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Priyanka said she was shocked to see the images from Lalitpur. (Archive)
It was a call from Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to Ghulam Nabi Azad that broke the ice in Congress and brought in the core team of the group of 23 leaders, which had been demanding radical reforms within the party, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, along with other high officials. leaders to a discussion table to ease tension.
Sources said that an emissary from Priyanka had been in contact with one of the letter writers for some time. He was said to be exploring the possibilities of a reconciliation, stressing that a fractured party cannot stand up to the ruling BJP. The 23 leaders were also eager for dialogue, but the setback they had suffered after the August letter had left them little choice but to harden their position.
What angered them the most was the “insult” and management’s lack of effort to understand their point of view.
But a virtual meeting of the Congressional Working Committee, held on November 27 to pay tribute to stalwarts Ahmed Patel and Tarun Gogoi, turned out to be the window both sides were looking for. Although virtually the meeting was the first time Azad and leaders like Anand Sharma came face to face with the other leaders. And that meeting saw many leaders making a passionate call for unity in the party. Priyanka, in that meeting, favored dialogue in the party arguing that a united Congress would be the greatest tribute to Patel.
Sources said that Priyanka spoke with Azad after he returned from Shimla. A meeting between her, Azad and Sharma ensued. They all agreed that dialogue was the only way to go. Meanwhile, the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath, met with the president of Congress, Sonia, and raised the idea of a conclave with her. He also met with the core team of letter writers and the meeting dates were finally decided.
“It was she who broke the ice. At the end of the day, we are all congressmen. And none of us want the problems to last. We all know that the only way forward for Congress is to stand together and fight together against the BJP, but there had to be a beginning somewhere, “said one of the letter’s writers.
Interestingly, Priyanka had played a role in defusing the crisis in Rajasthan a few months ago when she approached Sachin Pilot, who had raised a banner of rebellion against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. While the crisis was underway, Priyanka had spoken to Pilot to appease him on behalf of Rahul Gandhi.
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