(Image source from: India Today)

An Indian American economist and academic Jagdish Bhagwati speaking to CNN-News18 said that there were no chances of renewal of Indian National Congress party's fate until it gets rid of the Gandhi  dynasty.

In an exclusive interview with Bhupendra Chaubey, Bhagwati said Congress party is dead and as long as the Gandhi dynasty stays, it won’t ever regroup.

Bhagwati, notable for his research in international trade and for his advocacy of free trade, said there was a little hope that a second-line leader could possibly revive the party, at a time when Congress is desperately looking for a chief to assume from interim president Sonia Gandhi after her son Rahul vacated the position following downfall in 2019 general elections.

When asked about potential substitutes to Rahul, Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi to helm the party, Bhagwati said:

I don't see any person in the Congress who can revitalize the party.

Bhagwati also hit out at Sonia for allegedly 'using' former prime minister Manmohan Singh and his righteous image to give a boost to her own son's position in politics and the party.

Laying blame on Sonia for the current state of the Congress party, Bhagwati said:

Sonia Gandhi used Manmohan Singh's simplicity to push Rahul to the center stage. The Gandhis should realize that they have lost the battle.

He also said that it was Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are responsible for destroying Manmohan's image.

(Image Source: Ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com)

Professor Bhagwati's remarks come amid Congress party is striving with a leadership crisis.

After a crushing defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections, Rahul stepped down as a president of Indian National Congress Party insisting that nobody from the family should replace him. After several rounds of coaxing generated no positive outcomes, Sonia came to rescue of the Congress party after the top post laid vacant for weeks. Currently, Sonia heads the party as interim chief and at the same time hunt for a non-Nehru-Gandhi successor continues.

By Sowmya Sangam