Mumbai and Maharashtra units of Congress want Rahul back as party president

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi participates in a snake boat race on Punnamada Lake of Kerala, where he is for the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Pic/PTI

The Maharashtra and Mumbai units of the Congress want Rahul Gandhi to take up the party president's mantle yet again. The delegates passed a resolution to this effect on Monday in a meeting, even as the presidential election has been announced.

Apart from Maharashtra, some other state units have also asked him to accept the top post which he quit after the party's electoral debacle. After Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the Tamil Nadu and Bihar units of the Congress have passed resolutions that Rahul Gandhi should again become the President of the party. Currently, the former president has taken up a five-month pan-India yatra, the Bharat Jodo Yatra, to reach out to the people of India.

Also read: Maharashtra Congress passes resolution to appoint Rahul Gandhi as party chief

State president Nana Patole proposed a resolution to give Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi the right to choose the state president and other office-bearers such as state treasurer and All India Congress Committee (AICC) delegate. Congress Legislature Party leader and former revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat seconded the resolution and state representatives unanimously approved it. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan moved a resolution requesting Rahul Gandhi accept the responsibility of Congress president.

State working president and former minister Chandrakant Handore and Naseem Khan seconded the resolution tabled by Chavan, which was also unanimously approved by all the delegates. The Mumbai Regional Congress Committee also passed similar resolutions in a separate meeting. Both state and city meetings were attended by the party's Maharashtra in-charge H K Patil.