The Congress’ Rajasthan unit on Saturday passed an informal resolution calling upon Rahul Gandhi to be the next party president, The Indian Express reported. The resolution was tabled by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
The Congress will hold an election to pick its next president on October 17. The result will be declared two days later.
In July 2019, Gandhi had resigned as the Congress chief following the party’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress had won only 52 of 543 parliamentary seats in the polls.
On August 22, reports claimed that Rahul Gandhi has refused to contest the election for the Congress president’s post. Incumbent Congress President Sonia Gandhi also reportedly expressed her desire not to continue in the post citing health reasons.
On September 9, Rahul Gandhi had said that he has made a decision on whether he will contest elections for the post of the party’s president, but added that he would speak about it only when the polls are held.
Gehlot, along with other Congress leaders such as Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge and Salman Khurshid have also previously urged Rahul Gandhi to reconsider his decision and become the party chief again.
On Saturday, Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said that the resolution tabled by Gehlot was supported by everyone.
“Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that it is his desire that Rahul Gandhi becomes the Congress president and asked the delegates what they want,” Khachariyawas said, according to The Indian Express. “After this, everyone supported Gehlot with a show of hands.”
The resolution regarding Rahul Gandhi was passed after a formal resolution was passed to authorise the Congress president to appoint state-level chiefs.
Meanwhile, Congress leader P Chidambaram told PTI that Rahul Gandhi will always have a “pre-eminent place” in the party irrespective of whether he is president or not. He added that Gandhi is the “acknowledged leader” of the rank and file in the party.
“They [Congress leaders] want him to be the president of the party also,” he said. “So far, he has declined. He may change his mind.”
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