Kamal Nath refuses to back Rahul Gandhi as party chief; says Sonia must continue: Sources

In a major deviation from Gandhi loyalists, ex-Mhya Presh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, on Monday, has reportedly refuse to back Rahul Gandhi as next Congress chief, insisting Sonia Gandhi to hold on to it. Several or Gandhi loyalists aides like Ahmed Patel, DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, KC Venugopal, Salman Khurshid have called for Rahul Gandhi to take over as Congress chief - with Ahmed Patel officially proposing it in ongoing Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at AICC hequarters. Several or Sonia aides like- Manmohan Singh, AK Antony, KC Venugopal have insisted that Sonia Gandhi stays as Congress chief, but are open to Rahul Gandhi's leership. 

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Rahul Vs dissenters in CWC

While most Congress 52 senior members attending meeting insisted that Sonia Gandhi continue as interim-chief till Rahul Gandhi agrees to take over, both Gandhis have allegedly refused - Sonia Gandhi has insisted on stepping down while Rahul Gandhi has reportedly remained mum on issue. Apart from leership woes, all-out war between some of signatories - Ghulam Nabi Az and Kapil Sibal and Wayan MP. Rahul Gandhi allegedly said that dissenters were 'in cahoots with BJP', which prompted Sibal to lash out and Az to reportedly offer to resign. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala has clarified that such statement was me by Gandhi.

former Congress chief allegedly feels that party members should have discussed issues in CWC and t to media, stating that party was betrayed by senior Congress leers who wrote dissenting letter which has 23 signatories and over 300 Congress supporters.

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23 leers seek 'structural changes', Sonia offers to resign

Hinting at apparent turmoil within Grand old party, 23 senior leers wrote to party's interim-Chief Sonia Gandhi emphasising need for active revival of party and raised questions about party's condition and direction, demanding an internal election to CWC even at state levels, formation of an Independent Election Authority, and institutional leership mechanism, full-time leership at helm. five-p letter - drafted by two senior leers bears signatures of leers from Congress' 'old guard ' and 'young guard' (i.e Rahul Gandhi supporters). Leer of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Az, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tiwari,  Anand Sharma, Shashi Tharoor, Jitin Pras, Veerappa Moily, Pramod Tiwari, PJ Kurien, Sandeep Dikshit, as per sources. 

Amid row, Rahul Gandhi feels 'dissenters betrayed Congress' by taking grouse to media

On or hand, backing Gandhis, Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder Singh said this was t time to raise such an issue, ahe of a crucial CWC meeting on Monday. Apart from Singh, several or Congress leers like Salman Khurshid, Sanjay Nirupam, Siddaramaiah, Bhupesh Baghel, Ashok Gehlot, Balasaheb Thorat have also opposed this idea, while urging Rahul Gandhi to step into his mor's shoes as party chief. While Sonia Gandhi took over from Rahul Gandhi as party chief in August 2019, she has asked CWC members "to begin deliberations towards process of transition to relieve her from duty of party chief".

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