Tough to survive in Congress, says Shakeel Ahmad

New Delhi: Shakeel Ahmad, former AICC general secretary, who resigned from the party minutes after the closing of the second phase of polling on Tuesday, said “it is very difficult” for any senior and experienced Congress leader to survive in the party these days without being humiliated. He also alleged serous mismanagement by the Congress leaders during the Bihar election and wondered whether the leadership will ever do any introspection on it.

“I have spent decades in the Congress. It was a conscious decision to resign only after the polling day rather than doing it in the middle of the election. Yes, it is very difficult for any senior Congress leader to survive in the party these days without being humiliated. I am sure many are feeling the same and tell you about it at least in private. I finally resigned from such an atmosphere,” Ahmad told ET.

On Congress’ Bihar election management, he said, “There was total mismanagement of the election and coalition, especially after a group of novices were chosen to do that task. Some senior Congress leaders even held a press conference in Patna to accuse AICC in-charge Krishna Allavaru, CLP leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan and some party secretaries of total mismanagement of the election and of selling party tickets. Yes, it was a fact. As a former Congressperson, I wonder whether the Congress leadership will do an introspection”.