Congress undecided on President post; state units root for Rahul to lead party
New Delhi, Aug 10, 2019: (IANS) After meeting for two hours, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday decided to meet again in the evening to choose a new Congress president even as it renewed its plea to Rahul Gandhi to take back his resignation from the post. Many of the subgroups formed for consultations among state unit party leaders have named Rahul Gandhi to lead the party.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul have consciously chosen to disassociate themselves from the process of choosing the successor.
A senior leader present in the meeting, that lasted from 11.10 am to 1.15 pm, told IANS, "The CWC members urged Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision to resign but he remained adamant on quitting."
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Jyotiraditya Scindia then asked Rahul Gandhi to take some more time to reconsider his decision.
In his response, Rahul Gandhi said he was not escaping from the responsibilities of the party, but believed that after a new President is chosen, he will get more time to work for the party.
Earlier in the day, after emerging from the meeting, Sonia Gandhi told reporters that she and Rahul Gandhi are not part of the five sub-groups formed in the CWC to elect the new party chief.
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Addressing media, Congress national media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "The CWC unanimously appealed to Rahul Gandhi to lead the party as he is the best person for the top post at a time when the BJP-led government is assaulting democracy and undermining peoples' rights."
"His resignation is still pending approval of the CWC. But he is adamant on his decision, so a group has been formed for consultation with the party leaders to decide on the new chief," Surjewala said.
He said the CWC has not accepted Rahul Gandhi's resignation yet.