Party needs evolution, not revolution: Khurshid

The former External Affairs minister, who lost his seat from Farukkhabad in Uttar Pradesh, said the analysis of the situation must be “triggered and encouraged by our leadership”. “Any suggestion of it being done outside the leadership structure is not sensible or fair… We can hardly ignore what has happened. We must explore and take positions, but not outside the structure to which we are all beholden,” he added.

He emphasised it was “futile” to blame Rahul’s “advisers”, referring to both public and veiled criticism against the party vice-president’s team by several party leaders.

Speaking of his successor and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, Khurshid said she “seemed best suited for the job among the BJP’s talent pool,” but added, “from her point of view, I would worry about appointments at a very senior level on foreign policy at the PMO”. “I would have worried about creating another pole in foreign policy… I feel the new Foreign minister should be given the elbow room and freedom to work on foreign policy. Foreign policy should rest with the foreign minister. You shouldn’t make one if you don’t trust him/her,” he said.