Punjab Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh on Saturday said that “another dynamic youth leader” should take over from Rahul Gandhi as the party’s chief. Earlier this week, Rahul Gandhi had announced he would no longer lead the party, and asked it to find a replacement soon.
“After unfortunate decision of @RahulGandhi to quit, hope to see another dynamic youth leader as @INCIndia president to galvanise party,” Singh said in a tweet. “Urge CWC [Congress Working Committee] to take note of young India’s need for a young leader, aligned to aspirations of its large youth population & with grassroots connect.”
The Congress Working Committee – the highest decision-making body of the party – will have to first accept Gandhi’s resignation before the process of choosing the next party president begins, an unidentified Congress functionary had said on the day Gandhi resigned, according to Hindustan Times.
“The general secretary in charge of organisation will first call a meeting of the CWC. If the CWC accepts his resignation, then an interim president will be appointed to supervise the election of the new chief,” the functionary was quoted as saying.
In his statement on July 3, Gandhi had said that as Congress president he was responsible for the party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. “Accountability is critical for the future growth of our party,” he had said. “It is for this reason that I have resigned as Congress president.”
Senior Congress members, however, had said Rahul Gandhi would continue to be their leader despite officially resigning as party president.
Singh was one of the party’s five chief ministers who had failed to convince Gandhi to reconsider his decision to stay on as the party chief during their meeting with him on July 1.
Several other Congress leaders also resigned from their posts last week to give Gandhi a free hand to choose a new team.
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