As Rahul Gandhi accuses 23 dissenters of colluding with BJP, here's how Congress has split

A massive war has broken out in Congress after former party chief Rahul Gandhi during Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Monday alleged that  dissenting party members who wrote letter asking Sonia Gandhi to step down as interim president are "in cahoots with BJP." 

Ghulam Nabi Az offers to resign

Miffed by Rahul Gandhi's alleged remarks, senior leer and Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Az, one of signatories of letter, offered to resign if former's statement turns out to be true, sources said. Even Gandhi loyalist Kapil Sibal said that he has never me a statement in favour of BJP on any issue yet Rahul Gandhi said, "we are colluding with BJP".

However, Sibal backtracked on his comments after he was "informed by Rahul Gandhi personally" that he never said what was attributed to him, even as Randeep Surjewala me a u-turn.

Republic Media Network sources informed that letter by 23 MLAs was brainchild of two Congress leers who are t signatories to letter. two leers who have facilitated dissenting letter have distanced mselves from eir camp, for w, sources said ding y are pretending to be "neutral"

explosive letter les to a war in Congress

23 Congress leers who wrote 'letter of dissent' are - Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Az, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, Vivek Tankha, Marpi Veerappa Moily, Mukul Wasnik, Jitin Prasa, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Prithviraj Chavan,  PJ Kurian, Ajay Singh, Renuka Chaudhary, Milind Deora, Sandeep Dixit, Raj Babbar (UP), Arvinder Singh Lovely (Delhi), Kaul Singh Thakur (Himachal Presh), Akhilesh Pras Singh (Bihar), former Haryana Speaker Kuldeep Sharma and former Delhi Speaker Yoganand Shastri.

letter called for 'full time' active leership, sweeping reforms and raising questions about party's condition and direction, as well as demanding election of CWC.

Republic TV sources said that reason behind rebellious attitude of old leers for Rahul Gandhi is that Wayan MP wants new CWC by dissolving old one. He also wants to replace old General Secretaries with new ones, sources said. Sources also said that following Rahul Gandhi's allegations, four party leers went offline.

Rahul Gandhi's camp attack Kapil Sibal

Defending Rahul Gandhi, his supporters in party, namely party Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, MP Manickam Tagore and former IT chief he Divya Spandana all attacked Kapil Sabil until senior leer backtracked from his tweet.

Along with this, Ahmed Patel has recommended Rahul Gandhi's name for Congress president, even as Kamal Nath has batted for Sonia Gandhi to remain, clearly indicating where ir loyalties lie.

Rahul questions timing of letter

According to sources, Rahul Gandhi questioned timing of letter and asked why was letter (over party leership) sent at a time when Sonia Gandhi was mitted in hospital. He said that letter to Sonia Gandhi about party leership was written at a time when Congress government in Rajasthan was facing a crisis.

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Wayan MP said that right place to discuss what was written in letter was CWC meeting and t media, sources ded. Sources said that at beginning of meeting, Sonia Gandhi asked  CWC to relieve her as interim party chief. However, ex-PM Manmohan Singh and AK Antony urged her to continue.

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Sonia Gandhi asked CWC members "to begin deliberations towards process of transition to relieve her from duty of party chief", sources said. Manmohan Singh, Priyanka Gandhi Vra, Amarinder Singh, Mallikarjun Kharge, PL Punia, KC Venugopal and AK Antony among ors were present at virtual meeting.

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