However, when News18 contacted Congress to confirm the development, senior leader Randeep Surjewala denied that Sonia Gandhi had offered resign. Sanjay Nirupam, on the other hand, questioned why should Sonia even resign when Rahul Gandhi had already stepped down taking responsibility of 2019 Lok Sabha poll debacle. He asked haven’t other CWC leaders resigned. Should an answer be sought from them too, he asked. Different voices have emerged within the party with one section comprising sitting MPs and former ministers demanding a collective leadership, while another group has sought the return of Rahul Gandhi to the helm. The letter written by the 23 party members sought an “active” and “visible” leadership to stem the rot in the party which has been rocked by electoral defeats, desertions and crack within ranks.
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Cong Gears up for Stormy CWC Meet | The Congress is set for a stormy meeting of its working committee today as it remains divided on the leadership issue with a section demanding collective leadership and another reposing faith in the Gandhi family. Top Congress leaders are expected to deliberate on the issue of leadership during the meeting of the party’s top decision-making body that will be held virtually. Sources said Sonia Gandhi may offer to resign at the meeting after close 20 leaders wrote to her demanding a full-time, visible president and overhauling of the organisational structure including elections to the CWC and reconstitution of the Parliamentary board, news agency PTI reported.
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…Still Some People Don’t Want Change: Sanjay Jha | Ahead of the CWC meeting, Sanajay Jha, who was sacked as spokesperson of the Congress party last month, alleged that there has not been one meeting to debate failure in the last six years and yet some did not want change. “We lose 2 Lok Sabha elections back to back both being the worst defeats of the Congress. It is followed by several state election losses. We surrender states in power back to the BJP. Not one meeting to debate failure in 6 yrs. And still some people don’t want change???,” Jha wrote on Twitter.
We lose 2 Lok Sabha elections back to back both being the worst defeats of the Congress.
It is followed by several state election losses.
We surrender states in power back to the BJP.
Not one meeting to debate failure in 6 yrs.
And still some people don’t want change???
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) August 24, 2020
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Maharashtra Congress chief and state minister Balasaheb Thorat urged Rahul Gandhi to come back as not just the party, but the entire country needs him. “Come back, Rahulji”. Not only the Congress party but the entire country needs you. @RahulGandhi @INCIndia,” Thorat said.
“Come back, Rahulji”. Not only the Congress party but the entire country needs you.@RahulGandhi @INCIndia pic.twitter.com/V52bzPxMWS
— Balasaheb Thorat (@bb_thorat) August 23, 2020
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‘News of Letter Unbelievable’: CM Gehlot |Rajasthan CHief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who recently survived a blow to his government after his former deputy Sachin Pilot rebelled with a few MLAs, said the news of the letter is unbelievable and if true, it is unfortunate, adding that Sonia Gandhi should lead the party at this crucial juncture. However, he added that if she has made up her mind in this regard, then Rahul Gandhi should come ahead and become the party president.
News of 23 senior most Congress leaders writing letter to Hon’ble CP is unbelievable and if it is true – it’s very unfortunate was no need to go in media I strongly believe that Hon’ble CP Smt Sonia Gandhi ji should continue to lead the party at this crucial juncture
1/— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) August 23, 2020
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Senior Vs Junior Tug of War | Amid a senior versus junior tussle in the Congress, conflicting points have emerged between the two sides on party’s stand on key issues like China and Facebook row, with many saying that they were never consulted. Sources told News18 that some senior leaders have complained that they were never called for meetings with those who took final call. The sources added that many felt that crucial decisions were taken by those considered close to Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi. Even on legal cases, some complained that the opinion of senior lawyers was not taken while juniors have protested by saying that seniors don’t respond to their suggestions on issues.
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‘Rahul Gandhi Enjoys Full Support’: Salman Khurshid | Former Union minister Salman Khurshid, meanwhile, said Rahul Gandhi enjoys the “full support” and “endorsement” of party leaders and workers, and it does not matter whether he wears the label of a president or not. He also suggested that the party should give consensus a chance instead of elections which create divisiveness. “I have said very clearly that the Gandhis are leaders of the Congress. Nobody can deny this, even the opposition cannot deny this. I am quite happy having a leader, I don’t worry about whether or not we have a president, we have a leader (in Rahul Gandhi) and that is comforting for me,” the former Union minister told PTI in an interview.
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‘Rehaul of Party at This Critical Juncture Would Prove Detrimental’: Amarinder Singh | Despite calls for a non-Gandhi Congress chief, a number of senior leaders on Sunday said that the family should continue leading the grand old party as it needed a “leadership that is acceptable to all” and a move that “does not create divisiveness”. Congress leader and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said that the reason NDA succeeded is “absence of a strong, united Opposition”, and a “rehaul of the party at this critical juncture would prove detrimental”. He further said that the Gandhis were the “right fit for the role” as the family has made “immense contribution to the country’s progress since it achieved freedom from the British rule”.
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Maha Cong Leaders Want Sonia Gandhi to Continue as Party Chief | Maharashtra Congress leaders on Sunday passed a resolution, stating that Sonia Gandhi should continue as the party president. The resolution said that in case she refuses to do so, Rahul Gandhi should take over as the Congress chief. The resolution was passed during a virual meeting presided over by AICC general secretaryMallikarjun Kharge and hosted by party secretary Sampath Kumar. “Senior Congress leaders of Maharashtra have hereby unanimously resolved that madam Sonia ji Gandhi should continue as the Congress President as it is only because of her leadership our party came to power,” the resolution read.
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Ahead of the CWC meet, former party chief Rahul Gandhi sharpened his attack on the government amid reports of a rise in unemployment in the country. “1 job, 1000 unemployed. What condition has the country been brought to,” Rahul Gandhi wrote in a tweet in Hindi, tagging a news report.
1 नौकरी, 1000 बेरोज़गार,
क्या कर दिया देश का हाल।https://t.co/CN00TWbqQ3— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 24, 2020
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CWC Meeting to Begin at 11am Via Video Conferencing | The Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting will be held via video-conferencing at 11am today. Notably, ahead of the Congress Working Committee meeting, diverging voices have come to fore within the party with one side, comprising sitting MPs and former ministers demanding a collective leadership, while another group has sought the return of Rahul Gandhi to the helm. Twenty three senior leaders had written a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi, asking her for “sweeping changes” in the party.
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Voices in Support of Sonia Gandhi | While Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, his counterparts in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan Bhupesh Baghel and Ashok Gehlot, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and former ministers Ashwani Kumar, Salman Khurshid and KK Tewary backed the Gandhis, those wanting changes included Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Mukul Wasnik, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor and ex-Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda. READ FULL STORY HERE
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Signatories Include 5 Former CMs | Marpadi Veerappa Moily was the chief minister of Karnataka in 1992. Prithviraj Chavan became chief minister of Maharashtra in 2010 at the insistence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, succeeding unrelated Ashok Chavan. He resigned as the chief minister of Maharashtra after the ruling NCP-Congress alliance split in 2014. Ghulam Nabi Azad also served as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir from November 2005 to July 2008. (2/2)
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Signatories Include 5 Former CMs | The signatories of the letter include five former chief ministers. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, currently the leader of the opposition in Haryana Legislative Assembly. He has served as the chief minister of Haryana twice from 2005 to 2014. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal was the chief minister of Punjab in 1996 and the first and so far only female to hold the office of Chief Minister in the state. In January 2004, she accepted a position as deputy chief minister of Punjab. (1/2)
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Delhi Cong Demands Rahul Gandhi be Appointed Party Chief ‘Without Further Delay’ |The Delhi Congress, after an “emergency” meeting on Sunday, demanded Rahul Gandhi’s ascension as the party’s national president without further delay. The meeting, presided by Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar, passed a resolution demanding that Rahul Gandhi should be appointed as the party’s national president without further delay, a statement said.
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The Congress Leaders Who Wrote the Letter of Dissent | In an unprecedented move in the history of Indian National Congress, 23 senior leaders wrote a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi, asking her for “sweeping changes” in the party. The list includes five former chief ministers, sitting MPs Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari, members of Congress Working Committee and over a dozen former union ministers with years of political experience.
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Different Voices Emerge Within Cong | Sanjay Nirupam, on the other hand, questioned why should Sonia even resign when Rahul Gandhi had already stepped down taking responsibility of 2019 Lok Sabha poll debacle. He asked haven’t other CWC leaders resigned. Should an answer be sought from them too, he asked. Ahead of the Congress Working Committee meeting today, different voices have emerged within the party with one section comprising sitting MPs and former ministers demanding a collective leadership, while another group has sought the return of Rahul Gandhi to the helm.
आखिर सोनिया जी इस्तीफ़ा क्यों दें ?#CWC के सारे सदस्य एक साथ इस्तीफा देकर किनारे क्यों नहीं हटते ?
2019 के लोकसभा चुनावों में हार की जवाबदारी लेकर राहुल गाँधी ने इस्तीफा दिया।
क्या कांग्रेस कार्यकारिणी की जवाबदारी कुछ नहीं है ? #CWC सदस्यों ने अब तक इस्तीफ़ा क्यों नहीं दिया?— Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) August 23, 2020
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Will Sonia Gandhi Step Down as Congress Chief? | Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi is reportedly all set to step down from the party’s top post on Monday after some Congress leaders, including ex-ministers, wrote to her demanding “changes to the leadership”. The letter by former ministers and some MPs was believed to have been written a few weeks ago and sets the stage for a stormy Congress Working Committee meeting on Monday where issues flagged by dissenters are expected to be discussed and debated. However, when News18 contacted Congress to confirm the development, senior leader Randeep Surjewala denied that Sonia Gandhi had offered resign.