With Mallikarjun Kharge officially taking over as the Congress president on Wednesday, the BJP wondered if he will be made a scapegoat if his party performs poorly in the upcoming assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
While noting that the veteran Congress leader's elevation is his party's internal matter, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra suggested in his reply to a question from reporters that the presence of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul on his two sides on the dais was indicative of the family rule in the party.
Kharge earlier claimed the Congress will break the "system of lies and hatred" prevailing under the BJP-led government.
The first non-Gandhi to head the party in 24 years, he had defeated Shashi Tharoor in a direct contest after the Gandhis opted out of the race.
His first electoral test as the opposition party's president will be in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The BJP is in power in both states and has expressed confidence of securing victory over its rival.
-With PTI Input
