Party leaders with vested interests are postpoing Rahul Gandhi's elevation as Congress president: AICC secretaries

AICC secretaries demanded that party vice president Rahul Gandhi be elevated to the Congress president post at the earliest, sources said.

New Delhi: All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretaries have demanded that party vice president Rahul Gandhi be elevated to the Congress president post at the earliest, sources said on Tuesday.

Some of the secretaries claimed that people with vested interest are postponing the decision to appoint the Gandhi scion as the Congress president, sources said.

According to media reports, many in the grand old party are divided on the timing of Rahul's elevation and want it to be deferred till the upcoming Assembly polls. Some party leaders, however, also feel that in view of the current situation Sonia Gandhi should continue to steer the party and not take a back seat.

Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Goa are scheduled to go to polls in 2017.

46-year-old Rahul was appointed party vice-president in January 2013 at Congress's brainstorming session in Jaipur.

The talk about his elevation has been going on for quite some time now.

On the other hand, Sonia holds the record of being the Congress chief for 18 consecutive years. She had taken over from Sitaram Kesri in 1998.

At Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held in the month of November, the party members unanimously had voiced a "strong sentiment" for Rahul's elevation to the top post in the party for the first time. Notably, Sonia Gandhi was not present at the CWC meet.

Digvijay Singh, Kamal Nath, Jyotoraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot have number of times advocated for Rahul's anointment as Congress chief.