New Delhi: Former Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit Thursday stuck to his stand of backing Sonia Gandhi as the top party leader insisting that a change at this juncture could bring "friction" and delay the revival of an "electorally weakened party".
Hailing the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, he also downplayed the issue of age and said that what matters is "mental fitness" and "fitness of ideas".
His remarks came on a day when Rahul Gandhi returned from a 56-day long sabbatical amid talk of his possible elevation as Congress President in near future.
"Currently, we need somebody with experience. Any new person would take time to take control of the party. A new person will have his own set of ideas. To implement them will take time," he said adding that it will lead to "friction" in the party in a gestation period.
"At a time when we are electroally weak, we need to re-energise, rebuild ourselves...It is best we re-energise ourselves, become electorally relevant," he said adding that the thought of bringing a new leadership can be considered at a time when the party feels it is on the regeneration path.
The Congress spokesperson said that bringing a new leadership as well as a new set of ideas will otherwise prolong the period of regeneration.
Dikshit said Sonia Gandhi is someone who connects to the issue and knows what particular gesture is required to be given in a particular situation.
Citing instances of two marches led by her to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence on the coal bloc allocation case and the opposition's march to President Pranab Mukherjee on the land acquisition bill issue, he said there was no sign of her being unfit.
Dikshit insisted that more than physical fitness "mental fitness is required, the fitness of ideas, what to give at a particular point of time."
