‘Team Rahul’ vs ‘Team Priyanka’: Former Odisha MLA Writes to Sonia Gandhi, BJP Flags Internal Rift in Congress

Cuttack, Odisha – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has claimed that an internal clash within the Congress Party between “Team Rahul” and “Team Priyanka” has now surfaced openly. This allegation comes after former Odisha Congress MLA Mohammad Mokweem wrote a letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, demanding the removal of Mallikarjun Kharge from his post.

Call for Leadership Change
In his letter, Mokweem argued that Kharge’s age, 83 years, is no longer suitable for leading the party and suggested that younger leaders, such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, should take a more prominent role. The BJP has seized on this development, calling it evidence of growing divisions within Congress.

BJP spokesperson Shahzad Poonawala tweeted that “Team Priyanka vs Team Rahul has now come out in the open,” highlighting that the letter mentions a widening gap between Congress leadership and Indian youth. According to the BJP, Mokweem’s letter underscores the party’s struggle to engage effectively with younger generations under Kharge’s current leadership.

Former MLA’s Perspective
Mokweem stated that the Congress Party is going through a challenging phase and requires the guidance of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with fresh leadership. He expressed confidence that Sonia Gandhi and the Congress Working Committee will deliberate on the issue. Mokweem, a former MLA from Cuttack, also noted that his daughter currently represents the same constituency in the state assembly.

Background on Mallikarjun Kharge
Mallikarjun Kharge has been the Congress President since October 2022, succeeding Shashi Tharoor in a contested election. A senior leader of the party, Kharge had earlier served as interim president in 2019, taking over from Sonia Gandhi, who led the Congress from 1998 to 2017.

This development has reignited discussions about Congress’s internal leadership dynamics, as BJP continues to highlight the perceived divisions between supporters of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.