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Published 21:19 IST, July 26th 2019

Omar Abdullah asks 'Who is Congress president? Is it still Rahul Gandhi?' after purported 'Cong chief' makes Mumbai appointment

Reacting to Eknath Gaikwad's appointment as Mumbai's Congress' working president, NC vice president Omar Abdullah, on Friday, questioned who is the 'Honourable Congress President' asking whether Rahul Gandhi continues as caretaker until a full-time president is found, as mentioned in the letter released by the Congress

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Reacting to Eknath Gaikwad's appointment as Mumbai's Congress' working president, NC vice president Omar Abdullah, on Friday, questioned who is the 'Honourable Congress President' asking whether Rahul Gandhi continues as caretaker until a full-time president is found, as mentioned in the letter released by the Congress.

Here is the letter issued by Congress:

Congress Leader Natwar Singh Bats For Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Even As Rahul Gandhi Claims 'no One From The Gandhi Family Will Be Party President'

Congress leaders bat for Priyanka to take over 

Meanwhile, amid growing demands for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to take over her brother's place at the party helm, former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and senior party leader Sriprakash Jaiswal has said that while Rahul Gandhi had said that 'no one from the Gandhi family will be party president', the decision is upto Priyanka herself.

Old-guard bat for 'young president' 

The call for a young party president was first supported by Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh who urged the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to find generation next leader as Gandhi's successor. This sentiment was echoed by Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia too.

Similarly, Veteran Congress leaders Karan Singh and Janardan Dwivedi have come out in support of a young Congress president over the old guard adding that if a decision was not taken immediately, the party would disintegrate.

Sources have reported that names of the probable candidates to take up the post of interim-president will be shortly submitted to Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal adding that the Congress Working Committee meet to decide the next Congress president will take place only after the resolution of the Karnataka crisis.

WATCH: Now, Senior Congress Leader Bats For Priyanka Gandhi Vadra As Party Chief, Says 'if Rahul Gandhi Is Not Ready, She Can Take Over'

Next Congress president saga

Meanwhile, amid the dilemma within Congress over the appointment of a new party chief following the dramatic resignation of Rahul Gandhi from the post, while Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh called for a young leader, some of the old guard comprising of P Chidambaram, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot have been skeptical to choose a young leader preferring a 'Gandhi loyalist' to take over as the party president.

Following this call by Singh, General Secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia and Congress Mumbai chief Milind Deora issued their resignations, stirring speculations over their entry in the race for the top post of the president of the Congress party. 48-year-old Jyotiraditya Scindia and 41-year-old Sachin Pilot are the front runners for the post, as per sources.

Updated 21:56 IST, July 26th 2019

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