New Delhi, Apr 2 (IANS): Former All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Ranji Thomas has written a letter to interim party President Sonia Gandhi, alleging that the party has been "mismanaged" and sought an honest "introspection" within the party.

The veteran Congress leader, in the letter written on March 29, said the party is deteriorating as it hasn't been managed properly.

Thomas has worked with senior Congress veterans such as Ahmed Patel, Oscar Fernandes etc in the past.

"We have to admit that at present, the party is not being managed properly and party activities are not being coordinated by the persons who are in-charge of the affairs in an appropriate manner," Thomas said.

He said in spite of the presence of several experienced leaders having great potential in the party, their services are not being utilised by the party.

"Those managing the party at present have failed to realise it and are ignorant about the weaknesses of their leadership and the fact is that they lack knowledge of history, ideas and the vision to take the party ahead and make it a formidable and vibrant political alternative to counter the present Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership," said Thomas in the letter.

He had also alleged that the party is "presently facing unforeseen challenges from outside and within" and action has to be taken "before it is damaged irretrievably".

"Today we have come to a stage where many active party workers are unwilling to declare themselves as members of the great political party which got freedom for India but prefer silence or are joining other parties due to compelling reasons," he said in the letter.

Thomas, who has been with the Congress since 1985, has asked Sonia Gandhi to continue as the party President and reconstitute the Congress Working Committee (CWC). He said the CWC should have "leaders of experience, knowledge, political acumen and loyalty to the Congress".

He wrote,"All the Congress workers in the country would like to see that Sonia Gandhi continues as the President till the next party organisational elections to be held in December 2022."

The letter by a Congress leader comes after earlier letters written by senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and 22 other leaders in August last year.

In the earlier letter, the G-23 Congress leaders had said "the party leadership should be effective and visible on the ground".

They had said the party leadership should take everybody along and put up a serious challenge to the BJP.

The signatories of the letter by G-23 leaders included Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Veerappa Moily, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Manish Tewari and Prithviraj Chavan.