Adoni (Andhra Pradesh): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said that the newly-elected Congress president will be the supreme authority in the party and all members and functionaries will report to him, including himself.
Speaking at a press meet, minutes before Congress declared Mallikarjun Kharge as its new chief, Gandhi said his role in the party will be decided by the president.
When asked about his and Sonia Gandhi’s role amid a non-Gandhi president taking over the Congress party, he took Kharge’s name even before he was officially declared the winner.
“The Congress president will decide what my role is and how I have to be deployed,” Gandhi said in response to ThePrint’s query, adding that he will be reporting to the party chief, who will be supreme authority whom everyone will be reporting to.
When asked about Sonia Gandhi’s future role in the party’s decision making process, Rahul Gandhi said that decision will be taken by Kharge and the incumbent interim chief.
“That you have to ask Kharge ji and Sonia Gandhi ji. …As far as Congress party is concerned, the final authority is the Congress president and that gentlemen will decide how exactly the Congress party will move forward,” Rahul Gandhi answered to ThePrint when asked him about his role and his mother’s in the organisational and decision-making process.
“I cannot comment on the Congress president’s role, that is for Kharge to comment on,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Kharge defeated Shahshi Tharoor to became the first non-Gandhi to head the party in more than two decades and the third Dalit leader to hold the post.
“We’re the only political party in the country which has held elections, the only political party which has an election commission inside it. I have worked with Mistry (Madhusudan) ji and he is absolutely straightforward. Whatever issues are there will be sent to EC and they will take a decision on irregularities,” the former Congress chief said when asked about allegations of irregularities raised by Shashi Tharoor’s team in the internal party polls in Uttar Pradesh.
“I am proud that the Congress party has elections. Why has no one questioned why there is no election in other parties such as BJP or other regional parties?” he said
Currently, Gandhi is on the 41st day of his yatra which has reached Andhra Pradesh.
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