Chief ministers of all Congress-ruled states on Monday, 1 July, met Congress President Rahul Gandhi at his residence in the capital to urge him to take back his resignation from his post.
Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh, Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy are at Gandhi’s residence, according to news agency ANI.
Following the meeting, Gehlot said that they hope Gandhi will change his decision.
“It was a good meeting, we talked for around two hours, we conveyed to him the feelings of our party workers and leaders. We hope that he will pay heed to our views and do the right thing.”Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot
On reports of him and Kamal Nath offering to resign, Gehlot said, “ Resignations are put in the day results come out, Chief Ministers have to offer their resignations, then high command takes the decision on what to do next.”
The development comes amidst a spate of resignations in the grand old party.
Earlier, Gehlot had tweeted that the meeting will be to “show our solidarity”, adding, “We firmly believe that only he can lead the party in the current scenario, his commitment towards well being of our country and countrymen is un-compromised and unmatched.”
This is the Congress president's first meeting with the chief ministers after the party's poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Nath is expected to step down as the Madhya Pradesh Congress committee chief. According to The Indian Express sources, the party is expected to pitch for a young leader.
Earlier on Monday, Jammu and Kashmir Congress leaders met the Congress chief at his residence. The state unit discussed the upcoming Assembly polls, the reasons behind the defeat in the general elections and current scenario in the state, reported ANI.
Rahul had announced his decision to step down as the party president at the Congress Working Committee meeting on 25 May.
Resignations Continue to Pour In
On Monday, Nitin Raut, the chairperson of the Scheduled Castes (SC) department of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) tendered his resignation from the post. UP Congress Committee Secretary Ajay Saraswat Soni too submitted his resignation from the post.
In another development, Congress MLA from Karnataka's Vijayanagar Anand Singh resigned from the Assembly.
"Yes. I have resigned. Today morning, I submitted the resignation," Singh said.
When told that Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar has not confirmed the resignation, Singh said, "Is it so? Then I will resign again." The speaker denied having received any resignation.
The MLA refused to disclose the reasons that led to his resignation.
A mass resignation spree has plagued the Congress rank after its drubbing at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party, winning just 52 seats, while BJP won 303 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI and The Indian Express.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)