Reeling under the impact of poll debacle, the Congress is indeep trouble, with party chief Rahul Gandhi insisting on quitting the post amida series of resignations, setting the stage for a likely meeting of its highestdecision-making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), in the next fourdays.
Amid indications that the party was considering a presidiumsystem for taking it forward, the CWC is likely to discuss the leadershipissue, sources said on Monday.
It is learnt that Rahul Gandhi has conveyed that he has notchanged his mind to quit.
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party general secretaryPriyanka Gandhi are also learnt to have come to terms with his view that thereshould be a change of guard, though they have been of the view that the blamefor defeat cannot be put on one person.
During the day, party treasurer Ahmed Patel and generalsecretary K. C. Venugopal met Rahul and tried to persuade him not to press forhis exit from the post.
However, Patel later said that he had gone to meet Rahul forroutine administrative work.
“I had sought time before the CWC to meet the CongressPresident to discuss routine administrative work. The meeting today was in thatcontext. All other speculation is incorrect and baseless,” Patel ttweeted.
Sources said the CWC, the party’s top decision-making body,is also likely to look at the structural reforms needed by the party.
There is also a view in the Congress that Gandhi is sendinga clear message to the old guard by holding out because there should be fullfreedom in decision-making.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi did not give appointment toRajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in an apparent snub to him. The CongressPresident was not keen on Gehlot seeking ticket for his son. Gandhi is alsolearnt to have declined other appointments including of newly-eleced MPs whowanted to see him.
The Congress is also believed to be considering a presidiumsystem, as resignations pile up amid a deepening crisis.
Gandhi had offered to resign taking moral responsibility forthe party’s defeat but the Congress Working Committee at its meeting onSaturday unanimously rejected the offer.
Meanwhile, three more state party chiefs have tendered theirresignations, taking the total number to six.
Congress party chiefs of Jharkhand, Assam and Punjab havealso resigned in addition to those from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.Karanataka Pradesh Campaign Committee chairman H. K. Patil has also resigned.
Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jhakar, who was the sitting MPfrom Gurdaspur, sent his resignation to Congress President Rahul Gandhi takingmoral responsibility for losing to actor Sunny Deol from the seat. The Congresshas generally done well in Punjab winning eight of 13 seats.
Jharkhand Congress chief Ajoy Kumar has also tendered hisresignation. The party won only one seat in the state where it had an alliancewith the JMM, RJD and other parties.
While the party won Singhbhum seat, it lost Khunti by only1,445 votes and Lohardaga by 10,363 votes.
The party’s Assam unit chief Ripun Bora also wrote to Gandhitaking moral responsibility for the party not being able to increase its tallyfrom its previous tally of three seats. He has said in his letter that Gandhimay choose to replace him.
Maharashtra unit chief Ashok Chavan, Uttar Pradesh unitchief Raj Babbar, and Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik have already senttheir resignations.
Yogendra Misra, the district Congress chief in Amethi inUttar Pradesh has also sent his resignation, owning moral responsibility forRahul Gandhi’s defeat from Amethi.