New Delhi, Jan 26 (NationPress) BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla expressed support for Tej Pratap Yadav, the chief of Jan Shakti Janata Dal, regarding his description of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a “cowardly leader”. Poonawalla highlighted that Rahul Gandhi is not a serious leader.

This endorsement came after Tej Pratap Yadav criticized Rahul Gandhi, labeling him as a “cowardly leader” and agreeing with comments made by former Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad. Yadav questioned Gandhi's political actions, particularly in light of his past statement about visiting Ayodhya.

“Rahul Gandhi is a cowardly leader. He stated he would visit Ayodhya for a darshan of Lord Ram, yet he has failed to do so. Why hasn't he made that trip? He should have, shouldn't he?” Yadav remarked when addressing inquiries regarding Ahmad's statements.

Poonawalla echoed Yadav’s sentiments, asserting, “Rahul Gandhi is not a serious leader, which is why even his allies have openly scrutinized his leadership. The Samajwadi Party recently suggested, ‘Remove Rahul, bring Akhilesh, save the INDI Alliance.’ After Rahul Gandhi's electoral losses in Bihar, the Trinamool Congress made similar comments. When he discussed the Election Commission and EVMs, notable leaders like Omar Abdullah and Supriya Sule distanced themselves from his views.”

Poonawalla further claimed that Rahul Gandhi lacks the support of his party members.

“They lack a mandate, having lost 95 elections. Even from Priyanka Gandhi’s faction, members like Imran Masood, Shashi Tharoor, and Digvijaya Singh have exhibited a lack of confidence in him. Tej Pratap Yadav has recognized this reality; you will find no one in the nation who genuinely regards Rahul Gandhi as a strong leader,” Poonawalla concluded in his remarks to IANS.

Former Union Minister Shakeel Ahmad had previously alleged that there is “no internal democracy” within the Congress, asserting that Rahul Gandhi aims to oust the senior leadership of the party. Ahmad indicated that Gandhi is uncomfortable collaborating with experienced and popular leaders.

“Numerous leaders in Congress have been in politics long before Rahul Gandhi. By the time he won his first election, I had already secured my fifth. I believe he finds it challenging to sit alongside individuals who do not perceive him as their superior. This sentiment has lingered with me for a while, but such thoughts are seldom articulated while remaining within the party,” Ahmad remarked.

This is not the first incident where opposition leaders have raised doubts about Rahul Gandhi's leadership abilities. Leaders from both the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress have previously proposed that Akhilesh Yadav or Mamata Banerjee should take the helm of the INDIA bloc.

Furthermore, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has voiced disagreement with Rahul Gandhi after the latter missed a crucial party meeting. Earlier, Imran Masood had suggested viewing Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as a potential prime ministerial candidate, though he later walked back his statement and reaffirmed that Rahul Gandhi is the party's leader.