Priyanka meets Rahul Gandhi as he stays firm on quitting as Congress chief

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
May 17, 2020 07:30 PM IST

The meeting between Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi comes in the backdrop of reports that the powerful working committee of the party may meet in the next three-four days to discuss the leadership issue.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met her brother, Congress president Rahul Gandhi amid reports that he wants to quit after the crushing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during an election rally, in Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, India, on Monday, April 15, 2019.(HT photo)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during an election rally, in Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, India, on Monday, April 15, 2019.(HT photo)

Priyanka Gandhi, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, his deputy Sachin Pilot and Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala arrived at Rahul Gandhi’s 12, Tughlaq Lane residence on Tuesday morning. The meeting between Rahul Gandhi and senior Congress leaders comes in the backdrop of reports that the powerful working committee of the party may meet in the next three-four days to discuss the leadership issue.

Rajasthan’s ruling duo Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot calling on him amid rumblings of discontent in the state and his insistence on quitting.

The Congress has denied that any such meeting has been scheduled in the near future. “These reports are baseless,” KC Venugopal, general secretary in-charge of organization who is responsible for convening Congress Working Committee meetings.

WATCH: Rahul Gandhi’s resignation rejected by Congress’ top decision-making body

Also read | CWC not meeting anytime soon, says Congress amid Rahul Gandhi’s insistence on quitting

On Monday, Congress treasurer Ahmed Patel and KC Venugopal met Rahul Gandhi. But Patel insisted that he had gone to meet Rahul Gandhi for routine administrative work. “I had sought time before the CWC to meet the Congress President to discuss routine administrative work. The meeting today was in that context. All other speculation is incorrect and baseless,” Patel tweeted.

Three more state Congress chiefs resigned on Monday taking ‘moral responsibility’ for party’s poor performance in Lok Sabha elections. Other than Sunil Jakhar (Punjab) and Ajoy Kumar (Jharkhand) and Ripun Bora (Assam), HK Patil, who was tasked to oversee the Karnataka Congress campaign in December, also put in his papers.

 

These resignations take the number of party unit chiefs who have resigned since the poll results to six -- the others being UP party chief Raj Babbar, Odisha’s Niranjan Patnaik and Ashok Chavan of Maharashtra.

The Congress won just 52 seats in the Lok Sabha polls which saw Narendra Modi-led NDA come to power with a massive mandate winning 352 seats.

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