Chief Ministers and Deputy CMs of Congress-ruled states to meet Rahul Gandhi on Monday

The chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of Congress-ruled states will meet Rahul Gandhi on Monday with an aim to convince him to remain Congress president.  Sources told Zee Media that the leaders will appeal to Gandhi to take back his resignation and continue to lead the party in the future.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath will lead the leaders during the meeting, which will be attended by Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Puducherry CM V Narayanswamy and Rajasthan Deputy CM Sachin Pilot. The meeting is scheduled to take place at Rahul Gandhi's residence in New Delhi. Sources told Zee Media that a meeting of Congress Working Committee is likely to be convened after Monday's meeting.

It is to be noted that the Congress is facing serious crisis after Rahul Gandhi decided to step down the president of the party following the Congress' disastrous performance in recently held Lok Sabha election. The crisis deepened further on Saturday as some more party leaders tendered their resignations to Rahul Gandhi. According to reports, Akhil Bharti Kishan Congress president Nana Patole and AICC secretary Tarun Kumar submitted their resignations from their party posts on Saturday. "I have given my resignation from Akhil Bharti Kishan Congress to support Rahul Gandhi. I will work as a soldier of Congress now," Patole told reporters.

Tarun Kumar, who was Rajasthan co-in-charge when the party registered a victory in state assembly polls, also resigned from his post on Saturday. "You took the responsibility for the party`s defeat and resigned from the post of president AICC. In my opinion, we are equally responsible for the party`s defeat and me being Co-incharge of Rajasthan takes the responsibility of the party`s performance in the assigned region," Kumar`s resignation letter read.

As many as 145 office bearers tendered a mass resignation during a meeting conducted in the Congress office on Saturday and set an example for the senior members of the party to follow the suit of taking the moral responsibility behind dismal performance in the 17th Lok Sabha elections. At least 5 office-bearers of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee also resigned from their posts on Saturday.