From Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to Manmohan Singh, these are the stated views of Congress Working Committee members on Sonia Gandhi's resignation

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Prabhjote GillAug 24, 2020, 10:30 IST
From Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to Manmohan Singh, these are the stated views of Congress Working Committee members on Sonia Gandhi's resignation

Congress party president Sonia GandhiBCCL

  • Today’s Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting may decide if the party’s president Sonia Gandhi will remain at the helm going forward.
  • Congress veterans, including CWC members Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik, reportedly wrote to Sonia Gandhi asking her to make way for a non-Gandhi leader.
  • Sonia Gandhi’s children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have expressly said that they have no interest in taking up the leadership position.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has offered to resign as the party’s interim president after letters reportedly made their way to her desk, asking for an overhaul of the organisation and its leadership.

However, not everyone is on the same boat. Congress Working Committee (CWC) members like Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, have come in support of Gandhi family. Others like Harish Rawat and Ajay Maken believe that Rahul Gandhi should reclaim the post.

At the CWC meeting scheduled for later today, where the matter of leadership may be on the table, the field will be divided among two groups — ones who are looking for a change and seeking a new president, and others who remain loyal to the Gandhi family and want to maintain the status quo of power.

Here’s where the CWC 21 members currently stand on Sonia Gandhi’s continuity as party president:
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​Rahul Gandhi

​Rahul Gandhi
BCCL

Sonia Gandhi originally signed on as president after Rahul Gandhi resigned from the post after Congress’ defeat in the 2019 General Elections. Sources close to him told NDTV that he is determined not to return as Congress president but will continue to work for the party and fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

At the time of his resignation, he told the CWC that a non-Gandhi should be elected as the new Congress chief.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
BCCL

“Perhaps not in the (resignation) letter but elsewhere he has said that none of us should be the president of the party and I am in full agreement with him,” Sonia Gandhi’s daughter and Rahul Gandhi’s sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, told the authors Pradeep Chibber and Harsh Shah in their latest book.

She has also outrightly rejected requests of taking up the helm herself in the past.

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​Manmohan Singh

​Manmohan Singh
BCCL

With Sonia Gandhi being asked to leave and the party looking for a new non-Gandhi leader, Manmohan Singh is reportedly one of the front-runners for the post among other party veterans like AK Antony.

Singh has already proved his mettle serving two terms as India’s Prime Minister during Congress’ leadership between 2004 to 2014. However, he was heavily criticised for only being a figurehead with the Gandhi family pulling the real strings at the time.

​AK Antony

​AK Antony
BCCL

AK Antony, who served as India’s 23rd defence minister alongside Manmohan Singh, is also in the running for Congress chief. As a veteran party member, his views will play a significant part in the upcoming CWC meeting if the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s resignation is discussed.

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Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
BCCL

The Congress party’s leader in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdury, reportedly sent Sonia Gandhi a letter, ahead of the CWC meeting, pledging his full support to the Gandhi family along with other Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs like Tamil Nadu’s KS Alagiri, Kerala’s Mullappally Ramachandram and Delhi’s Anil Chaudhary.

The PCC is an internally elected committee that directs Congress that dictates the Congress’ nationwide. actions.

​Ghulam Nabi Azad

​Ghulam Nabi Azad
BCCL

Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Minister of Health, is not only among the signatories who wrote to Sonia Gandhi looking for a change in the Congress party’s leadership but reportedly leading the charge. According to the letter, the revival of the party is essential for the survival of democracy in India.

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Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik

Anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik
BCCL

Former union cabinet minister Anand Sharma and former Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik, are also signatories of the letter asking for a change in the Congress’ leadership in the run-up to the CWC’s election.

Ajay Maken

Ajay Maken
BCCL

Senior Congress Leader, Ajay Maken told IndiaTV that Rahul Gandhi is the most acceptable leader within the party and should come back as party chief.

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Harish Rawat

Harish Rawat
BCCL

Echoing the view of Ajay Maken, Harish Rawat has also come out in support of Rahul Gandhi returning to the helm of the Congress party. Rawat believes Rahul Gandhi’s message of accountability after the 2019 General Election loss has been received and it’s time for him to move forward.

"The party's rank and file want Rahul Gandhi to take over as Congress chief. We strongly feel that this is the right time for him to take over as the country is facing several issues," Rawat told PTI.

Ahmad Patel, Ambika Soni, KC Venugopal and others remain mum

Ahmad Patel, Ambika Soni, KC Venugopal and others remain mum
BCCL/BI India

Other members of the CWC — Ahmad Patel, Ambika Soni, KC Venugopal, Luizinho Falerio, Motilal Vora, Mallikarjun Kharge, Oomen Chandy, Raghuveer Singh Meena, Tamradhwaj Sahu and Tarun Gogoi — are yet to officially comment.

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