Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Sunday dismissed claims that Sonia Gandhi has stepped down from the post of the party’s interim president, ANI reported. “Reports of Sonia Gandhi resigning from the post of Congress interim president are false,” he told the news agency.
The Congress is in the midst of an internal crisis, which was triggered after at least 23 party leaders wrote to Gandhi demanding a complete overhaul of the organisation. The letter, which was written on August 15, urged Gandhi to address the leadership question in the party and claimed the uncertainty around it “has demoralised party workers and weakened the institution”.
The signatories of the letter reportedly included former chief ministers such as Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Prithviraj Chavan, former ministers Kapil Sibal and Shashi Tharoor, and Milind Deora and Jitin Prasada. After the letter was made public, several reports suggested that Gandhi has told her aides that she would step down from the party’s top post.
Sonia Gandhi had assumed charge as the Congress interim president last year, after the resignation of Rahul Gandhi, who quit as party chief in July 2019 after its crushing defeat in national elections.
The debacle over the party’s leadership took another turn on Sunday evening, as several Congress leaders issued letters and statements in favour of Sonia Gandhi. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said that the news of 23 senior Congress leaders writing a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi was unfortunate and asserted that Sonia Gandhi should continue to lead the party “at this crucial juncture”.
However, Gehlot added that if Sonia Gandhi had “made up her mind”, then Rahul Gandhi should come ahead and take charge of the party. He said this was important as the country is facing “the biggest challenge to save our Democracy and Constitution”.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh defended the Gandhi family and said electoral defeats could not be the “yardstick for leadership change”. In a statement of support, Singh added that it would be a mistake to undermine the family whose “selfless commitment and unimaginable sacrifices” had allowed the Congress to stand “like a rock in the path of the BJP and its ambition to divide the country on the lines of caste and religion”.
“The move by these leaders to demand a re-haul of the party at this critical juncture would be detrimental to its interests and interests of the nation,” he said. “Sonia Gandhi should continue to helm the Congress as long as she wants,” he said, adding that Rahul Gandhi should take over once he becomes “fully competent” to lead the party.
Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar also supported Sonia Gandhi and said she had “saved the party” during times of crisis, ANI reported. “Anything that has to be discussed must be done so in the party forum & not in the media,” he added.
Here are some other statements of solidarity issued by other party members:
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