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Rahul Gandhi says he’s not involved in the process to pick new Congress chief

At a Congress Working Committee meeting after the Lok Sabha election results, Rahul Gandhi had said he had decided to step down.

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New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi it appears is going to stick to his resolve to step down from his post after the party’s abject failure in the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to reporters at Parliament House Thursday, Gandhi said the “party will decide” on the selection of its next chief, and he’s not “involved in the process”.

Stressing the importance of “accountability”, Gandhi told NDTV that he will “continue to be in the party”.

Gandhi also flagged the Rafale issue and said the Congress will continue to follow it up, said sources in the party.

Congress conundrum

With the Congress winning only 52 seats in the Lok Sabha elections last month, just eight more than its 2014 tally, Gandhi told the party at its working committee meet on 27 May that he had decided to step down.

Uncertainty loomed large over the party due to Gandhi’s insistence on quitting, and key decisions kept getting deferred amid continued speculation. Reports even suggested that Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was in the running for the top post.

“The only person he listened to was Priyanka (Gandhi Vadra), who told him to put his decision on hold for the time being, and at least tide out a month,” a senior Congress leader told ThePrint on condition of anonymity.

In the weeks since the meet, the party has continuously tried to convince Gandhi to reconsider his decision. Seniors Congress leaders also kept trying to seek an audience with the party chief to convince him of the same, but to no avail.

Senior leaders ThePrint spoke to remain convinced that Gandhi’s decision to step down remains final, despite attempts to persuade him.


Also read: Congress wishes Rahul Gandhi many happy returns of the day, but isn’t sure if he’ll return


 

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4 COMMENTS

  1. Day by day, it is becoming clearer why the TIME magazine termed Shri Rahul Gandhi as an “unteachable mediocrity”. In spite of the CAG, the Supreme Court and more importantly politically, the voters not believing in his “Chowkidar chor hai” mission, he is continuing to harp on it.

  2. It hardly matters WHO would be the next President of the Congress party. If, even under a dynasty member as President, ( Sonia and Rahul) groupism and factions were rife and rampant in many states, including Ashok Gehlot’s Rajasthan, which failed to win a single seat for Congress, it will only be more so under any other leader. People like Siddaramiah will be openly defiant, when they are already freely airing their views against the High Command’s decisions in public. The only achievement in this will be that Modi’s call for a “Congress mukt Bharat” will be finally achieved under someone OTHER THAN A President from the Nehru Family . Perhaps Rahul has already sensed this.

    • In your statement “Perhaps Rahul has already sensed this.” lies the answer to Congress revival. If Rahul is so shrewd and instinctive (after all many successful people have a ‘strong nose’) that he can foresee his party’s demise, then he should stay and work out a strategy to save his party. But I feel he is NOT that instinctive. He is plain tired.. He is tired of being pushed around by the coterie (and that includes Sam Pitroda) who pumped him up to take on the challenge knowing well that the whole syndicate will benefit if Congress scores against Modi, but if the result is opposite, then Rahul will be hauled over the coals, by the public, by most media. Athawale’s short and sarcasm laden speech in the Parliament sums that up. Rahul likes his simple, good life. He is aware of that fact and is now snatching back his freedom. If he truly had survival instinct and ambition, he wouldn’t have let Amethi go.

  3. Shri Ashok Gehlot would be an apt choice to captain the Titanic. Unless, as per its Byzantine politics, this is the party’s way to remove him from the CM’s post.

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