Sonia Gandhi to trigger stalemate leaving Congress no choice but Rahul as boss: Sources

In a breaking development, Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi will express her intension to step down from position and urge to initiate process of finding a new chief but expect stalemate to continue, in turn giving way to Rahul Gandhi to return, according to sources. This could le Congress back to exactly same situation where it was last year with consensus on who should be new chief. 

If Congress Working Committee (CWC) unanimously urges Rahul Gandhi to once again take over reins, n CWC members could offer ir resignations and allow Rahul Gandhi to form an entirely new working committee. According to sources, Rahul Gandhi will t return unless given a free hand to pick his own team.

Surprisingly, re is mention of senior leer P Chidambaram in discussion for role of national president. He was neir amongst 23 leers who earlier wrote to Sonia Gandhi r was he amongst dozens of those who wrote letters on Sunday.

However, if zonal presidents are to be chosen n Sushil Kumar Shinde, Tarun Gogoi and Chidambaram from west, east and south respectively cant be ruled out.

Several Congress leers, MPs and ministers on Sunday backed Gandhi family amidst growing unrest with party deeply divided on leership issue on eve of crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting.

While former Mhya Presh CM Kamal Nath who appealed party president Sonia Gandhi to "give strength to Congress Party" by continuing as President and le party, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel appealed to Wayan Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi to once again le party, whereas Congress leer hir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "Congress is only safe in Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi's hands". Chowdhury maintained that  combined energies of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi me for a "winning combination", he opined that Congress workers and leers should rejoice in this "potent formula". He recalled Sonia Gandhi's leership in 2004 Lok Sabha elections contending that Sonia Gandhi has never been hungry for power.

As questions have been raised on Congress leership from opposition as well as within party, former Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah called questioning of leership of Gandhi family as "unfortunate", by saying that "we should collectively strive to strengn Congress & t weaken it". Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh also lashed out at 23 leers who have demanded 'structural changes' in Congress party.

23 leers seek 'structural changes'

Hinting at apparent turmoil within Grand old party, 23 senior leers have written to party's interim-Chief Sonia Gandhi raising a 5-Point nda to revive Party. letter emphasised on need for active leership in party and raised questions about party's condition and direction, demanding an internal election to CWC. 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.  Meanwhile, Congress has denied that it has received any such letter.

RE | Congress Vs Congress: Leers Slam Letter Signed By 23 Seniors Seeking 'structural Change'