‘Congress leaders must quit for a revamp’

HYDERABAD: Senior Congress leader M

Shashidhar Reddy

on Thursday emphasised the need for ‘Version 2’ of the Kamaraj Plan to strengthen the party at the national and state levels.

Addressing the media here, Shashidhar Reddy said the Late

K Kamaraj

had proposed to the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1963 that all senior Congress leaders holding ministerial office should resign and take up party work. The proposal was made even after the Congress coming to power at the Centre for the third time in 1962. It was then felt that continuous office incumbency was distancing leaders from the fears and feelings, thoughts and travails of the masses.

“Panditji saw the point and told Kamaraj that he would like to be the first one to go. Kamaraj had demurred and insisted that Nehru must remain the Prime Minister. This had led to a major shake up,” Shashidhar Reddy said.

He said there is a need for the Version 2 of Kamaraj Plan to revitalise the party in the light of the electoral losses in 2014 and thereafter.

“It’s high time the members of the

Congress Working Committee

and the AICC office-bearers submitted their resignations. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi should be given a free hand to revamp the Congress. There should be a new-look party organisation at the national level, with new faces - a mix of old and young,” he suggested.

He also emphasised the need for changing the state party affairs in-charge.