New Delhi: The Congress Wednesday said Rahul Gandhi will continue as party president, ending weeks of speculation after Gandhi had insisted on stepping down in the backdrop of the party’s poor show in the Lok Sabha elections.
While there was talk about appointing working presidents or reviving the Congress Parliamentary Board, the national party’s media advisor Randeep Singh Surjewala Wednesday said Gandhi will continue as party president.
“Rahul is, was and will remain party president,” Surjewala told the media after an informal meeting of leaders held under the “guidance” of senior party leader A.K. Antony.
There has been uncertainty in the party over Gandhi’s position after he expressed his desire to leave the charge of the party in view of its dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress won 52 seats, just eight more than its 2014 tally. The number also falls two short of securing the post of leader of opposition.
In the weeks since, the party has continuously sought to convince Gandhi to reconsider.
Also read: Congress is relying on a bunch of defeated leaders to beat Modi and Shah
What the meeting was about
According to a source in the party, the meeting was held in Delhi to discuss the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand and Haryana.
A meeting of the party’s general secretaries is also likely to be convened soon to discuss preparations for the state polls.
Surjewala added that as Congress Parliamentary Committee head, Sonia Gandhi will take a call about the leader of the party in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.
The party’s core group, which was constituted for the Lok Sabha elections, is also likely to disbanded soon, said the source.