With the Congress facing a vacuum after Rahul Gandhi’s resignation as party chief, voices within the party are growing in favour of handing over the leadership to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The Congress Working Committee meeting, scheduled for next week, will to decide on picking up Rahul’s successor.
Lending weight to “Priyanka lao, Congress bachao” chant, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said she will be the perfect choice to take up reins of the party.
Interestingly when Rahul quit as Congress chief after the Lok Sabha poll debacle, he made it clear that the party should find a new president from outside the Nehru-Gandhi family. At that time, he had rejected demands of senior party leaders to make Priyanka the Congress president.
A day earlier, another party MP and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor had said Priyanka is a suitable choice to lead the party. Former Union Minister Anil Shastri too has said Priyanka is the best person be the party president.
Former Union Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal made a strong pitch for Priyanka to take over as the Congress chief. He said this is the right time for Priyanka to lead the party.
Former MP Abhijit Mukherjee, son of former president Pranab Mukherjee, too has made an open plea in favour of Priyanka, saying she should not ignore the “clarion call of lakh of Congress workers” across the country to take over as the party president.
Reposing his full confidence in the ability of Priyanka to revive the party, Amarinder said she would get all-round support if chosen to take over as the Congress president.
“Priyanka will be a perfect choice to take over the party reins but it all depends on the CWC, which alone is authorised to take a decision in the matter,” said Amarinder. At the same time, he regretted the decision of Rahul to step down from the top party post.
The Punjab CM had earlier advocated for a young leader to take charge of the party at the critical juncture in the nation’s journey. “India is a young nation, and will respond to a young leader,” he said.
His comments were sought on Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s statement that Priyanka would be a good choice for being chosen as party president. “She has the intelligence and instinct to understand and relate to the needs of the nation, and also has the courage to take on any challenge and take the fight to victory,” he added.
Congress leader from Odisha Bhakt Charan Das said a large number of party workers are demanding that she should take over as the Congress president.