BHOPAL: Nearly 40 years ago, playing as a substitute, hockey Olympian Aslam Sher Khan had propelled India to a World Cup trophy. Now, he wants to play the perfect ‘sub’ again — to dribble Congress out of its worst crisis ever.

Khan, a former Union minister, has offered to take over as Congress president “on a provisional basis for two years”. Congress didn’t seem too interested, pointing out that he had resigned from the party three years ago.

In a letter to AICC chief Rahul Gandhi , Khan has said that there is a sense of “despondency” in the party rank and file, and that in “true sporting spirit” they should plan for the next five years. “With all humility, I would like to offer my services to the party and take responsibility as a provisional Congress president for a time-bound period of two years only,” he writes.

Reminded Rahul how he was sent into the ground as a substitute just five minutes before end of the play in the 1975 World Cup semi-final, and scored an equalizer, Khan writes: “If you decide to place your trust and confidence in me then I assure you that I will leave no stone unturned and make sure that the party scores that equalizer in two years’ time.” According to Khan, former PM Narsimha Rao had told him that had they brought him on board sooner (he was minorities affairs minister), Congress could have won the 1996 Lok Sabha polls.

When TOI asked Khan if he was serious about the offer, he said: “Why not? Rahul Gandhi has quit the post of party president and has said that the next party chief should not be from Nehru-Gandhi family. In such a situation, what is the harm in saying that yes, I am ready to work for Congress party’s revival? I know there are better leaders in Congress, but they don’t want to come forward, fearing backlash. When my team, party and country are in crisis, I don’t care about anything but to pull them out of crisis.”

Congress spokesperson K K Mishra, who had announced Aslam's expulsion from Congress in 2017, wasn’t impressed. “I don’t want to comment on what he says or writes. He is not in Congress anymore. He had submitted his resignation from the party to the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi in 2016, which she accepted after a few months.”

Khan, who has often made headlines for his controversial statements, feels he is the man of the hour. In his letter to Rahul, Khan writes: “Over the past several years, whenever I have felt it necessary for the sake of my country and the party, I have expressed my views through letters to the party leadership and Congressmen with the aim to arouse debate and collective discussion to help revitalize the party. I do so again at this critical juncture. The need of the hour is to score an equalizer against the BJP by bringing the Congress party back to the grass-roots and into heart and minds of the common masses once again.”

