The former MP from East Delhi and son of Shiela Dikshit cautions the party against becoming a "copy cat" of either BJP on issues relating to secularism or the AAP on economic issues.
"50 per cent of seniors in the Congress is deadwood and 70 percent in NSUI and Youth Congress", Dikshit said pitching for bringing new people to the embattled party.
"The culture (in Congress) has become elitist and arrogance grows from it. Our cadres are uncomfortable in such a situation," he told PTI in an interview, days after the Congress whitewash in the Delhi Assembly elections on the back of a string of electoral losses from May last year.
He took no names in his criticism of the affairs in the party but it was an apparent dig at Vice President Rahul Gandhi when Dikshit said democracy does not start or end with holding party elections.
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"It starts with democracy of ideas allowing leaders to lead and democracy of action," he said.
"What is very important is to bring new people into Congress. We have almost 50 per cent deadwood in senior Congress and 70 per cent in Youth Congress and NSUI.