Congress must be ready for long struggle instead of shortcuts, says Khurshid

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Tuesday said that if the “mood of the electorate is resistant to liberal values” the party has espoused, it should be prepared for a “long struggle” instead of looking for “shortcuts” to get back to power.

His remarks came as many party leaders admitted there is an air of despondency in the party. Meanwhile, the special committee set up by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to assist her met but did not discuss the party’s poor performance in Bihar or Assembly bye-elections. One senior leader said little is being done by the leadership to inject a sense of purpose. Sources said a meeting of the Congress Working Committee would be convened soon.

In a Facebook post, Khurshid shared a couplet by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and said “his words might be a useful companion for many of our party colleagues who suffer periodic pangs of anxiety”.