Chorus for ‘Rahul as president’ growing in Cong-ruled states

New Feb. 8 (IANS): The chorus for Rahul Gandhi to be appointed as party president is growing with state units passing resolutions reiterating the demand ahead of organisational polls slated for May.

The latest to join this bandwagon after Delhi and Chhattisgarh is Telangana. A unanimous resolution was passed in a meeting attended by AICC Telangana in-charge and MP Manickam Tagore and all the 33 DCC presidents, state unit president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and CLP leader Bhatti Vikrarmarka.

Prior to this, the Chhattisgarh state unit had passed a similar resolution proposed by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and seconded by Mohan Markam, state unit president and PL Punia who is in-charge of the state.

The Delhi Congress, too, had passed a resolution calling for Rahul Gandhi to be appointed party President.

Delhi Congress chief Chowdhury Anil Kumar moved the resolution to request Rahul Gandhi to take over as President of the Congress at the earliest.

He said, “Considering the disturbed and dangerous political situation in the country, Congress needs a dynamic and powerful leader like Rahul Gandhi at the helm, to lead the party forcefully, to counter the communal, authoritarian and undemocratic forces, trying to take the country on the path of destruction.”

The resolution said that Rahul Gandhi has been waging a determined battle to “expose the misdeeds” of the Modi government, and his leading from the front as the Congress President was an urgent need to boost the confidence and morale of the Congress workers.

The resolution noted that “the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, had forcefully protested against the anti-farmer laws inside and outside Parliament and backed the farmers’ agitation demanding the repeal of the laws which will be ruinous to the farm sector in the country, as the laws were intended to benefit a few rich corporate friends of the Modi government.”

Rahul Gandhi had resigned in May 2019 as President of the party following a debacle in the General Elections and Sonia Gandhi was appointed Interim President in August.

The issue was raised by Congress leaders who demanded sweeping reforms in the party and elections from block to the CWC level in August 2020. But the party has decided to hold elections in May after the polls of five states.