Sonia Gandhi resignation speculation: CWC meet today, Congress leaders debate over president's post

Meanwhile, several Congress leaders expressed their opinions on the social media over who should take up the leadership role in the party.

Senior leaders like Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh said Sonia Gandhi should continue to lead the grand old party of India.

Digvijaya said Sonia Gandhi's leadership role is accepted by all.

He said in case Sonia Gandhi wishes to step down then Rahul Gandhi should accept the role of the party chief by leaving his 'insistence' of not working in the position.

Rahul Gandhi decided to leave the party post in 2019 after the Lok Sabha polls debacle.

Nath tweeted: "Any suggestion or insinuation that Mrs. Sonia Gandhi’s leadership is in question is absurd. I appeal to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi to give strength to the Congress Party by continuing as President and lead the Congress."

"I have been the General Secretary of the Congress Party for many years. We must not forget that in spite of the canard against Smt. Sonia Gandhi, she led the Congress Party to victory in 2004 and made Atal Bihari Vajpayee sit at home," he said.

"I have had the privilege of working with Sanjay Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. I have also had the privilege of serving the Congress Party as a Member of Parliament for almost 40 years and as the longest serving Member of Parliament," he said.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot asked Rahul Gandhi to take up the role of the Congress president.

"Mrs Gandhi and Rahul ji have shown what it means to sacrifice for the greater good of the people and the party. Its now time to build consensus and consolidate. Our future is stronger when we’re united. Most Congress workers would like to see Rahul ji take over and lead the party," Pilot tweeted.

"During this time of crisis, all leaders & workers of @INCIndia should stand by Smt Gandhi & strengthen party. If for any reason, she herself is unwilling to continue,I believe that Sri

@RahulGandhi should take over as President immediately & put all uncertainties to rest," Kharge tweeted.

Sonia Gandhi and Congress letter:

Responding to a letter sent to her by several top leaders who have sought a complete overhaul of the organisation, Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi directed them to get together and find a new party chief as she does not want to carry out the responsibilities any further, media reports said on Sunday.

In her response, Gandhi has told them that she was not interested in leading the party once again when the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on August 10 requested her to assume the reins of the organisation again, a senior functionary told Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity.  

Sonia had earlier accepted to work as interim chief of the Congress.

The leaders made desperate pleas to her after Rahul Gandhi rejected their calls to withdraw his resignation that he had put in on May 25 in the wake of party’s rout in the national elections, reports Hindustan Times.

At that time too, Sonia Gandhi mentioned in her response that she had insisted that the new president should be someone from outside the Gandhi family, the functionary quoted from the letter as reported by the Indian newspaper.

Hindustan Times reported that it learnt that the letter has been in the works for at least the past month.

 Several leaders that the newspaper spoke to confirmed that Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal, both Rajya Sabha MPs have taken the main initiative in drafting the letter.  

Last year, the Congress suffered a massive jolt in the Lok Sabha polls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party returned to power for the second straight term.