Young Congress leaders to march to Rahul Gandhi’s house, urge him to stay

On Friday, former AICC members, secretaries, former MLAs as well as sitting and former MPs will congregate at the AICC headquarters in Delhi at noon to devise ways of convincing Gandhi.

After several attempts to persuade Rahul Gandhi to remain as the president of the Congress party failed to convince him, hundreds of young party workers from the country will now congregate at the party headquarters to launch an indefinite campaign.

One of those who is organising the campaign, a former AICC secretary and a Youth Congress leader, said that leaders from the party’s frontals will also be present.(Hindustan Times)

On Friday, former AICC members, secretaries, former MLAs as well as sitting and former MPs will congregate at the AICC headquarters in Delhi at noon to devise ways of convincing Rahul Gandhi. Most of these party-workers are those who have risen to prominence within the party in the last decade or so.

One of those who is organising the campaign, a former AICC secretary and a Youth Congress leader, said that leaders from the party’s frontals will also be present.

“Representatives from several states will come, and while we do not have any specific effort in mind to accommodate everyone’s wishes, we plan to meet at AICC headquarters and then we will proceed to the Congress president’s house to urge him to stay,” said the former secretary. More than 500 workers are expected to come.

To facilitate this, a meeting of over 25-30 members was convened on Tuesday at Punjab Bhawan where arrangements and a strategy was chalked out.

After the party’s loss in the 2019 general elections, Gandhi has taken the blame on himself and has decided to resign from his post. Since then, party members have tried their best to persuade Gandhi to stay back while he has stuck to his ground. A recent meeting of the party’s Working Committee passed the resolution that Gandhi must stay; and yet he declined. On Wednesday, the party’s members in the Lower House asked him again to stay. They said that other members jeer at them asking who is the president. In reply, Gandhi said that while he will remain within the party, he must now travel across the country to strengthen the party.

Another young party leader firming the efforts said that Gandhi should remain with newer resolutions. “It is the duty of every party leader and worker today that they insist the party president to stay, specifically, those whose political life has found recognition in the last 10-12 years due to him. There is a need to make a collective effort in this direction,” said the leader.

Author and academic Neera Chandhoke, who was formerly the Professor of Political Science at Delhi University says that the Congress party seems to be disintegrating and some action needs to be taken immediately. “It seems unclear who is playing a major role within the party and it is surprising that Gandhi is not overlooking the transition of the party while he has made up his mind to quit. It is worrying because the Congress represents a legacy and as voters, we need a strong and functional Opposition,” said Chandhoke.