Congress reverts to type before CWC; 'clamours' for allegedly reluctant Gandhis to lead

Ahead of the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Monday, several party leaders have backed the Gandhi family amidst growing unrest, with the party deeply divided on the leadership issue. After 23 party leaders wrote to Sonia Gandhi seeking revamp of major bodies, sources said she might offer to step down in the CWC and ask the party to look for a full-time president.  AICC media chief Randeep Surjewala, however, denied it, with the situation quickly devolving to the tried-and-tested formula of the party allegedly clamouring for the reluctant Gandhis to take charge again. 

'We stand by Sonia Gandhi'

Several leaders, including many MPs, have written to Sonia Gandhi, either calling for her to continue or urging Rahul Gandhi to take charge. Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Minister Jaivardhan Singh on Monday took to Twitter said the party stands by 'the epitome of sacrifice' Sonia Gandhi and claimed that she chose not to become the Prime Minister in 2004. He also said that Rahul Gandhi is the "only" Congress leader having a pan India appeal and he should lead the party. 

Maharashtra state minister Sunit Chattrapal Kedar extended his support to Sonia Gandhi and slammed other party colleagues Mukul Wasnik, Prithviraj Chavan and Milind Deora to raise questions on Gandhi family and demanded apologies. He also threatened them and said, "Otherwise Congress workers will see how they move in state freely."

Meanwhile, Alka Lamba on Monday through a tweet extended her support to Rahul Gandhi and said that he should take charge of the party.

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and former ministers Ashwani Kumar, Salman Khurshid and KK Tewary, among others, have backed the Gandhis. 

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There has been a debate in the Congress on the issue of leadership with a section of the party pitching for return of Rahul Gandhi as party president.

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23 leaders seek 'structural changes'

Hinting at an apparent turmoil within the party, 23 senior leaders have written to party's interim-Chief Sonia Gandhi raising a 5-Point Agenda to revive the Party. The letter emphasised on the need for active leadership in the party and raised questions about the party's condition and direction, demanding an internal election to the CWC.

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Sonia Gandhi completed one year as party chief earlier this month. She took over the reins of the party for a second time after Rahul Gandhi stepped down as party chief following Congress suffering its second successive defeat in Lok Sabha polls in 2019. However, both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra Gandhi have shown no interest in leading the party, though it is entirely likely that that is part of the ruse, meant as much for within the party as outside.

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