Ex-Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah backs Gandhi family's leadership, urges 'strengthen Congress'

On Sunday, senior Congress leader and former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah expressed lament that leadership of Gandhi family was questioned within party. He was referring to purported letter written by many party leaders calling for sweeping reforms in Congress. Contending that re was "undeclared emergency" in India owing to BJP, Siddaramaiah called upon his party colleagues to collectively strengn Congress instead of weakening it. 

Read: Sonia Gandhi Set To Resign As Congress Interim-chief, Tells To 'find A New Chief’: Sources

Rumblings within Congress

As per suspended Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha, more than 300 leaders representing all regions and states are signatories to letter in question. Some of senior leaders who have reportedly signed letter include Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari, Milind Deora, Mukul Wasnik, Jitin Prasada, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and Prithviraj Chavan. y stressed that uncertainly over leadership and drift in party have weakened Congress and demoralized workers. letter reportedly mentioned many suggestions such as need for a full-time leadership available at national and state headquarters, conducting elections at all levels including Congress Working Committee and state level, formation of an Independent Election Authority, and institutional leadership mechanism to guide party's revival. 

Read: BJP's Amit Malviya Dares Congress To Keep Art 370 Restoration As Main Poll Plank In 2024

Party leadership 

Sonia Gandhi is longest-serving president of Congress party. After being at helm of affairs for 19 years which witnessed Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) emerging victorious in 2004 as well as 2009 Lok Sabha elections, her son Rahul Gandhi assumed charge in December 2017. A series of defeats in state elections combined with disastrous performance of Congress in 2019 General elections, Rahul Gandhi anunced his decision to step down.

After attempts to persuade him to take back his resignation failed, Sonia Gandhi assumed interim charge in August 2019. In next few months, Rahul Gandhi stayed away from many important meetings, including candidate selection for Assembly elections and bypolls in several states such as Haryana and Maharashtra. Additionally, Sonia Gandhi reversed key decisions taken by him such as replacing Ashok Tanwar with Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Haryana. Recently, re has been an increasing clamour within party for Wayanad MP to take charge of party once again. 

Read: Amid Congress Rumblings, Bhupesh Baghel Urges Rahul Gandhi To Take Over As Party President