Rahul Gandhi adamant to quit as Congress president

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, once again, reiterated his stance to quit as the party chief. 

In a meeting of Congress Parliamentary party chaired by UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, Congress leaders urged him to continue as the party president, however, Rahul stuck to his decision to step down from the post.

Gandhi had offered to resign as the party chief at the May 25 meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) after the Lok Sabha elections. While the CWC had rejected his resignation and asked him to restructure the party at all levels. Since then party leaders have been trying to convince the Gandhi scion to reconsider his decision.

Members of Youth Congress also staged a demonstration outside Rahul's residence urging him to continue as the party chief.

Last week, Gandhi had said the party would decide his successor. “I am not the right person to make a decision and will not get involved in that process,” he had said.

According to reports, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot is likely to be appointed as the next Congress president. Sources in the Delhi unit of the party say that a large chunk of Congress is in favour of Gehlot's elevation as the party chief.

Furthermore, the party had dissolved its units in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh earlier this month and similar decisions are likely to come for some other states too.

Congress put a poor show in the Lok Sabha polls by winning just 52 seats, while the ruling BJP stormed back to power with 303 seats.

(With inputs from agencies)