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.
The ‘Holier than Cow’ melodrama enacted by Rahul Gandhi has finally come to a naught. Who else could have dare to take up the reigns of this dynasty driven party during his life time? Needless to say, the Congress Party can’t even think beyond Sonia-Rahul combine irrespective of its damned future prospectus at the national political horizon.
Congress has a culture where no leader other than this family is allowed to groom. Those who tried were murdered. So practically, this party has become a gang of chamcha today. Very truly Kamal nath said that the workers were ready to drink Raul’s urine to show their loyalty.
Please Note: Rahul has NOT said this YET. It isn’t news until THAT happens. (Perhaps NOT news EVEN WHEN that happens).
Congrats, Congress! Congrats, BJP!
BJP won because of polarisation. There is no threat to 80% hindus from 14% muslims in india. People of India should grow up and vote with maturity.
BJP should give congress?for the decision of the congress to enable them ( BJP) to gather adequate material to compile a book HUMOR IN POLITICS before the next elections .
Although Rahul Gandhi is hated by the opposition and the urban middle class who spew venom on him because of their resentment and deep sense of inferiority, he has a connect with the masses and one election won by a mountebank prime minister by fooling the masses on Balakot only proves that you can fool the masses many times in the name of religion, sense may dawn when hunger strikes, unemployment bites, and drought starves and then Rahul Gandhi will rise again
first let him get a day job and acquire some experience. We cannot count his Backops experience as ‘work experience”.
Ma’am: Please first ask if Rahul Gandhi wants the TOP JOB. You may end up getting disappointed. What will happen to his overseas holidays?
RaGa has 4 passports: British, Italian and 2 Indian passports, which itself is a crime.. RaGa is one of the greatest frauds in history. A criminal, nappy -wetting, thumb- sucking 50 year old crook is the President of the Congress. I do NOT know what was the need to do this drama. And I do not know whether to laugh or cry!!!!!
Great news, The most intelligent political leader, falsely labeled Pappu by BJP media will now successfully lead the party back to victory. Don’t forget that once upon a time BJP had just 2 seats in parliament. Rahul has fifty more
Mustafa Sir, just one point: before he contests the next general elections, his performance will be under spotlight in the parliament, and so will be his holidays abroad. Just hating BJP and Modi will deliver nothing. Grow up.
Stop day dreaming please.
Good news for BJP ? Now Modi will definitely look forward for 3rd term.
Speculation? What speculation can be there in engineered dramas like this. Every bloke knew of the crybaby attitude and the foolish mother attitude in play. The first act of the drama is thankfully over and one can look forward to. foul languages , indecent thrusts , which are going to be hyped as great stuff
One drama is ended now and we will enjoy many more in days to come.
One thing for sure is that post Vipassana, Shri Rahul Gandhi has become a better entertainer; whether it is hug and wink in the parliament, or will she won’t she over Priyanka’s Lok Sabha candidature from Varanasi or the resignation drama now.
Now that Rahul and Priyanka are staying on at the helm, they have to perforce come out of their ivory towers and SUVs. They have to really get into the countryside and lead people and groups who have genuine grievances against the NDA. ( The issues are many and are to be found everywjere) If need be they must go to jail leading the agitations. It is only by becoming foot soldiers will they win back trust and perhaps raise their vote share to above 25%. With all this the best they can hope for is to be a numerically respectable Opposition.
What a surprise!! This is good news for NDA! It is however a sad day for Indian democracy which needs a strong credible Opposition on a national scale. Only Congress Party can provide that role and as long as that Party precludes at its top anyone other than a Nehru / Gandhi it will continue to slide towards irrelevance. Rahul Gandhi is not fit for the purpose. He lacks depth, maturity, grasp of what it takes to be a national leader. He has been foisted on his Party and the Nation, probably much against his own instincts. Congress needs a complete overhaul of personalities, ideology and its purpose. This may well be its last chance to secure this transformation and hence its long term relevance to Indian politics.
Every one know Papu will remain President they just to show we are democratic in our party how funny.
As English language integrates Indian states into a republic, Nehru Indira dynasty keeps Congress factions together. Both English and Nehru Dynasty represent the view point of Western world. Both are not the choice of Indian masses who can only reject them but can’t throw them out. It won’t be out of context If I say that India has not been able to completely free itself from foreign occupation in some respect. Before 1947 foreigners occupied India’s landmass and today they occupy the minds of India’s elites who believe to rule India as their birth right.
How so well put, Sir!
If you read a bit of history, you will realise that the concept of a nation and nationalism is extreamly European! And so what? Throughout history humans have borrowed ideas from each other and so doing have pushed the boundaries of knowledge – behold decimal system invented in India, spread by Arabs and pushed to the modern usesage in computing by Europeans. What is wrong with acknowledging our past histroy (however proud or shameful) and building on common knowlege of humanity? To brand Gandhian socialism sa foreign and RSS ideology (which rests firmly on foundation of European fascist ideology) as home-grown is hight of double standards.
THIS IS A BIG STEP BACKWARDS
Congress is a 52-member Party in the Lok Sabha and this pack includes the Joker.
Rahul Gandhi’s staying-on as Congress Party President is good news for the BJP. Now the Congress Party will be driven into dust by its own numbskull leadership.
Pappu pappu pappu, you have rushed into the trap BJP had setup.
Once again the line of thought seems to be: ‘You have enough money, and nothing to lose. Just stay on, wait for anti-incumbency, and keep attacking even if you have no workable vision or plan to offer.’ Well, will his presence be enough to rattle Modi and lose focus from facilitating ‘ease of living’ in the second term is something to be seen.
There is a lot of work for a conscientious opposition to do. Dr Arvind Subramanian has lent his authoritative voice to something all Indians felt in their bones – we have a sickly, anaemic economy. These are the issues to be raised in Parliament and elsewhere. 2. Ms Nirmala Sitharaman did a fine job as National Spokesperson for her party when things were not going well for UPA II. The opposition should be both seen and heard. Nothing is gained by staying away from TV debates. 3. If gentleman is staying on, he should try to make a mark.
New jumlabaaz in town. Much ado about nothing. Petulant behavior of a spoiled brat.