homepolitics NewsRahul Gandhi steps down as Congress president, takes responsibility for debacle in 2019 elections
Rahul Gandhi steps down as Congress president, takes responsibility for debacle in 2019 elections
A month after the defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday resigned from the post of Congress president and shared his resignation letter in a tweet.
A month after the defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday has resigned from the post of Congress president and shared his resignation letter in a tweet.
It is an honour for me to serve the Congress Party, whose values and ideals have served as the lifeblood of our beautiful nation.
I owe the country and my organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love.Jai Hind 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/WWGYt5YG4V— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 3, 2019
In a four-page letter shared on Twitter, Gandhi said, "As President of the Congress Party, I am responsible for the loss of the 2019 election. Accountability is critical for the future growth of our party. It is for this reason that I have resigned as Congress President. Rebuilding the party requires hard decisions and numerous people will have to be made accountable for the failure of 2019. It would be unjust to hold others accountable but ignore my own responsibility as President of the party."
Gandhi, who suggested that the Congress Working Committee be entrusted with the task of finding a new party president and it would not be correct for him to select his successor, also said he owes the country and his organisation a debt of tremendous gratitude and love.
He said he has at times felt "alone" in his fight against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS but is proud of it.
One must shed power to defeat opponents, Gandhi, who has been firm on his decision to quit as party president, said. "We will not defeat our opponents without sacrificing our desire for power," he said.
"Congress must radically transform itself, it is the party's duty to defend people's voices that BJP is crushing. "I was born a Congressman, this party has always been with me and is my life's blood and forever that way it shall remain," he said in his letter.
Many of his colleagues suggested he should nominate the next Congress president, "While it is important for someone new to lead our party, it would not be correct for me to select that person," he noted.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi told reporters in parliament, "I have already submitted my resignation and I am no longer the party chief. "The Congress Working Committee should convene a meeting at the earliest and decide on a new party chief."
Gandhi had offered to quit as party chief during a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on May 25 which was called to analyse the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls, in which it managed to win just 52 seats. The CWC had unanimously rejected his offer to quit but Gandhi was apparently firm on his stand.
(With inputs from agencies)
First Published: Jul 3, 2019 3:51 PM IST
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