Congress crisis deepens as resignations continue ahead of crucial CWC meet

NEW DELHI: The crisis in Congress deepened further on Saturday as some more party leaders tendered their resignations to Rahul Gandhi, who stands firm on his decision to not continue as party president owing moral responsibility for his party's humiliating defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

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 here.

Nana Patole, Kisan Congress President, submits his resignation from the post, owning responsibility of party's defeat in Lok Sabha elections. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/lEhmtFykYs — ANI (@ANI) June 29, 2019

Meanwhile, Tarun Kumar, who was Rajasthan co-in-charge when the party registered a victory in state assembly polls, also submitted his resignation to the Congress president today. 

"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.

AICC Secretary and Rajasthan Co-Incharge Tarun Kumar submits his resignation from the post, to Congress President Rahul Gandhi, pic.twitter.com/CmE4rKGrBG — ANI (@ANI) June 29, 2019

The resignations from various Congress committees and its affiliated organisations were triggered after Rahul Gandhi announced his decision to step down as Congress president taking moral responsibility of his party's Lok Sabha poll debacle.

As many as 145 office bearers have tendered a mass resignation during a meeting conducted in the Congress office 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.

Meanwhile, 35 office-bearers of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee also resigned from their posts on Saturday continuing the spate of resignations in the party following its Lok Sabha election debacle.

The state unit's senior vice president Ranjit Singh Judev, general secretary Aradhna Mishra Mona, vice president RP Tripathi and many others resigned taking moral responsibility for the party's defeat, an official release of the party said.

UP Congress's senior vice president Ranjit Singh Judev, general secretary Aradhna Mishra Mona, vice president RP Tripathi and 10 other leaders have resigned from the party taking moral responsibility for the party's defeat in Lok Sabha elections. pic.twitter.com/eTlYgiLrUO — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 29, 2019

Others who quit party posts include media coordinator Rajiv Bakshi, joint media coordinator Piyush Mishra, Onkar Nath SIngh, Amarnath Agarwal and Mukesh Singh Chauhan, Priyanka Gupta and Ashok Singh.

More resignations are likely in the party state unit (UPCC), which has nearly 100 members, a senior leader hinted.

Rahul Gandhi, who became the party president in 2017, offered to step down from his post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held on May 25.

However, his resignation offer was unanimously rejected by the CWC, which even authorised him to reconstitute the party and form a new team.

Since the last CWC meeting, several key party leaders have met Rahul Gandhi and urged him to continue to lead the party.

Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince the 49-year-old party chief to rethink his decision, he remains unfazed.

The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014 in the outgoing Lok Sabha. 

The CWC - the party's highest decision-making body - is expected to meet soon to discuss the current crisis in the wake of Rahul Gandhi's decision to step down, which has triggered mass resignations.