After the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi resigned as party president in August 2019, taking responsibility for the disastrous results of the Congress in the polls. Sonia has been the party’s interim chairperson for more than a year since then.
Now the next question which arises out of the current situation is that if Sonia Gandhi does indeed resign from the post of the Congress president, who will then take over the reins of the grand old party?
A large party faction is in favour of Rahul Gandhi’s re-coronation for the post of party president. However, a few days ago, Priyanka Gandhi raised political speculation by casting doubts on the presidential post stating that it may go to a member of the Gandhi family.
However, the fact remains that there is an increasing demand in Congress to anoint Rahul as the party president. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has opposed the challenge to the Gandhi family leadership and said that this is not the time to do this. He is of the opinion that Sonia Gandhi should remain in charge of Congress’ reigns as long as she wants, after which Rahul Gandhi needs to become Congress president.
Similarly, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has also said that Rahul Gandhi should again become the party’s president.
On the other hand, inside the Congress, there is also a growing demand for holding elections to the post of the party president and for the seats of the Congress Working Committee. On this issue, veteran leader Salman Khurshid said that instead of internal elections, Congress should consider checking the internal consensus once.
At least 23 Congress leaders, including some ex-ministers, have written to party president Sonia Gandhi for the overhaul of the organisational structure. However, when asked about the section of party leaders calling for elections to the CWC and presidency, senior party leader Salman Khurshid hit out at those asking for internal polls, saying why are people so anxious to make these demands in the Congress when they are not made in any other party.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said that the CWC meeting has been called at 11 am on August 24, which will be done through video conferencing.
In the last meeting, the manner in which some MPs had raised the issue regarding the party’s defeat in the 2019 general election and had a heated debate, the meeting of the Working Committee has become very crucial. After this, some leaders wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi, demanding a change of leadership and holding elections for the Working Committee.
Reports stated that many Congress leaders are upset that the party has become directionless.
