Days after over 20 top Congress leaders sought discussion over the party’s leadership issue by writing a letter to the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Saturday said the “letter politics” seeking changes in the party reflected the “insecurities” and “political ambitions” of certain signatories.

“Now that Congress president had clearly stated the party organisation and president would be elected in six months, it was unfortunate that some leaders continue making unwanted statements,” Jakhar said.

“Such statements become even more ridiculous as the demand for elections is being made by the leaders who either never contested the elections themselves or now even they themselves may not remember when they contested last,” he said.

Asserting that there were inherent contradictions in the letter written by these Congress leaders, Jakhar said they targeted Rahul Gandhi for “abetting division within the ranks” by holding Youth Congress elections, but, on the other hand, sought elections to be held from block level to the national body despite the continuing coronavirus pandemic.

“Is it not applying double standards? Will these elections then not create rift in the party itself,” the Punjab Congress president questioned. Instead of giving a serious thought before making statements on the issue, “some leaders were trying only to protect their positions, which was a sign of frustration and weakness,” he charged.

Jakhar recalled that in the Congress party’s general meeting in 2018, the very leaders who were now talking about party elections had proposed that instead of holding the elections, the party president should be authorised to appoint the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

He said that a leader had tried to justify the CWC elections on the “pretext” that the person elected in this way will have a guaranteed tenure and would be able to speak his mind without fear of losing his seat. “I believe any person, whether elected or nominated, who doesn’t have the courage of his conviction and is unable to speak his mind for fear of losing his position, has no right to be on the decision-making body of the party,” Jakhar said.

He said some leaders had lost self-confidence and had forgotten how high their status in the party was. Jakhar said such status was not due to membership of any House but due to their experience and contribution to the party.

“Those holding high positions in the party should realise that their political standing would not be affected with the expiry of their Rajya Sabha memberships,” he added.