After 4-hr appraisal, Congress ‘reaffirms’ faith in Sonia Gandhi

Leaders say party president, who has not been actively campaigning, will immediately take up corrective measures to revamp the organisation

Days after its election debacle in five states, the Congress’s top decision-making body on Sunday brainstormed for over 4 hours to “unanimously reaffirm” faith in the leadership of Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Amid calls for large-scale reforms to revive the party’s dwindling electoral fortunes, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said the party president will immediately take up corrective measures to revamp and re-strengthen the organisation.

The Congress will hold a Chintan Shivir immediately after the Budget Session of Parliament and the CWC will meet again before that, he told reporters

“Every single member of the CWC wants Sonia Gandhi to guide party till organisational elections are held,” Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said. 

Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik were the only three from the Group of 23 leaders who participated in the meeting of the CWC, which has a large number of Gandhi family loyalists.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh did not attend the meeting. Senior party leader A K Antony was also not present as he has contracted Covid.

The Congress lost Punjab to the Aam Aadmi Party, could not wrest Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur from the BJP and the party’s tally in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh fell to its lowest.

While Sonia Gandhi has not been actively campaigning for some time, Rahul Gandhi, along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, had been the star campaigner for the Congress in the polls, with the brother-sister duo also playing a major role in key decisions of the party.

Rahul, tussi aa jao: workers

Ahead of the meeting, the chorus for making Rahul Gandhi Congress president again grew louder as several leaders and workers voiced support for him to take on the mantle of party chief.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said no one was taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Rahul Gandhi does and was fighting resolutely. “The prime minister has to start his speech after targeting Rahul Gandhi, you can understand what this means. All of us want that Rahul ji should take on the mantle of party leadership,” Gehlot told reporters. D K Shivakumar from Karnataka also made a similar pitch. 

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