Party in South Will Collapse If Rahul Gandhi Resigns: Chidambaram

During the CWC meeting held on Saturday, all the leaders urged Gandhi to continue as the party president.

Congress leader P Chidambaram.

(Photo: IANS)

P Chidambaram got teary-eyed as he appealed to Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, 25 May, not to step down from his post claiming that the party's cadres in the southern states will collapse.

During the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held on Saturday, all the leaders urged Gandhi to continue as the party president, even as Gandhi remained adamant on his decision to resign, the sources said.

Addressing the media after the CWC meeting, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that Gandhi has been authorised to restructure the party following its grim perfomance in the recently held general elections.

When the party leaders asked UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to intervene and dissuade Rahul from resigning, she said that it was Rahul's discretion to step down, the sources added.

However, his sister Priyanka Gandhi thought that no decision should be taken in haste. She also said taht if Rahul decides to resign, it would mean that he fell into BJP's trap.

The newly-elected Wayanad MP Gandhi expressed his intent to discontinue as the party president, said the sources, as he asserted that he would continue to fight for the Congress' ideology and still work for the party.

When the 48-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family remained firm on discontinuing as the party president, the CWC leaders rose to oppose his offer stating that he was not the one to be blamed for the party’s drubbing.

During the CWC meet, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Punajb Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, and Karnataka's former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were also present among others.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi had offered his resignation as the party president, which the CWC unanimously rejected and requested for his further guidane and leadership.

Congress alliance has swept the deck In Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In the former, the alliance won 35 out of 38 seats, and in the latter it leads in 19 out of 20 seats.

(With inputs from ANI)