Amid mounting crisis over the resignation of party leaders in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi after he insisted that he will not continue as Congress chief, chief ministers from party ruled states on Monday will meet the former to persuade him to take back his resignation.
Early in the day, Gandhi, however, reportedly said that he “has already made his stand clear”.
It is learnt that Kamal Nath, Ashok Gehlot, Capt Amarinder Singh and Bhupesh Baghel, chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Chhattisgarh respectively will meet Gandhi later in the day, at his official residence.
Gehlot has confirmed the meeting with the Congress president and said, “All Chief Ministers of Congress- ruled states will be meeting the Congress president today at his residence to show our solidarity. Earlier, also we all have stated that we are with Congress president and we own the responsibility of the 2019 debacle”.
Gehlot, further said, “We firmly believe that only he can lead the party in the current scenario, his commitment towards well being of our country and countrymen is un-compromised and unmatched”.
The meeting comes after a section of workers from AICC functionaries to state leaders, are quitting their posts in solidarity with Gandhi, owning responsibility for the debacle in the recently held Lok Sabha polls.
On Monday, Nitin Raut, head of the AICC Scheduled Caste department and UP Congress Committee secretary Ajay Saraswat ‘Soni’ resigned, claiming responsibility for the party’s Lok Sabha rout.
According to party leaders, over 200 Congress workers resigned after Gandhi pointed out that he had resigned to ensure accountability for the party’s defeat.
“I cannot ask others to resign too. It is up to them if they want to take responsibility,” he had told in a meeting with Haryana Congress leaders.
Earlier, party’s head of the Legal, Human Rights and RTI cell, Vivenk Tankha, AICC general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Vivek Barbaria, chairman of the AICC Kisan Congress Nana Patole and several other leaders had quit their posts.
Gandhi had announced his resignation at the meeting of party’s highest decision making body, Congress Working Committee, after taking responsibility for the Congress’s disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha election.
Even as CWC rejected his resignation and asked him to restructure the organisation, Gandhi seems adamant, whichever has put the Congress party in a deep crisis.
