New Delhi, July. 1 (HS): Ahead of the meeting with Chief ministers of all Congress-ruled states, Rahul Gandhi on Monday rejected the plea of senior Congress leader and Rajasthan Chief minister Ashok Gehlot to continue as the party’s President reiterating his unchanged resolve to step down from leading the reins of the grand old party.The Gandhi scion responded to Ashok Gehlot’s comments today saying that only Rahul Gandhi could lead the party in the present scenario. Staying firm on his decision, Gandhi addressed reporters saying he had already made his stand clear and they were aware of his decision. Earlier, Ashok Gehlot had tweeted,”We firmly believe that only he (Rahul Gandhi) can lead the party in the current scenario, his commitment towards well being of our country and countrymen is un-compromised and unmatched”.
This statement from Rahul Gandhi comes ahead of his meeting with all Chief ministers of Congress -ruled states in New Delhi. This meeting is going on till filing of the report that was started at 3:30 pm which is the first time all the Congress chief ministers met Rahul Gandhi since he offered his resignation as the party chief last month.
This meeting comes in the backdrop of the suspense over the future role of the Gandhi scion in the party and a spate of resignations by Congress leaders at various levels. The Congress CMs have decided to show their solidarity with Rahul Gandhi urging him that the debacle of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections was the failure of the entire leadership of the Congress and not the blame of the Congress Chief alone.
Besides Ashok Gehlot, Madhya Pradesh CM Kamak Nath, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Bhagel, Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder Singh and Puducherry CM V. Narayanasamy were present in the meeting with Rahul Gandhi urging him to take back his resignation. Earlier, on May 25, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) had unanimously rejected the resignation offered by Rahul Gandhi as the party Chief following the defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Despite Lok Sabha MPs from the Congress urging him to take back his resignation, Gandhi has remained unfazed and firm on quitting as the Congress President. It is noteworthy that, Congress had won 52 seats in the recent Lok Sabha elections just eight more seats in the previous 2014 General elections.