Only Rahul Gandhi can lead Congress in current scenario: Ashok Gehlot

Ahead of the meeting of Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states with party president Rahul Gandhi today, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said only Gandhi can lead the party in the current scenario.

"All Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states will be meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi today at his residence to show our solidarity. Earlier also we all have stated that we are with Congress president and we own the responsibility of the 2019 debacle," Gehlot tweeted.

"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," he said in another tweet.

Gehlot went on to add that the 2019 Lok Sabha election was not a defeat of program, policy and ideology of the Congress.

"Although, it was very unfortunate to see that despite the failure of Modi government on various fronts including the depleting economy, BJP did manage to hide their huge failures behind their fanatic nationalism with help of enormous resources and government machinery at hand. But, in spite all odds, it's no secret how amidst opposition, only Congress president did his best to make it an issue-based election and took BJP head on," Gehlot stated.

Besides Gehlot, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, and Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy are expected to meet Gandhi.

The Chief Ministers had been planning to meet the Congress chief for long to request him to continue as the party chief. Also, they are likely to discuss the mass resignations taking place in the party.

Gandhi, who became the party president in 2017, offered to step down from his post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on May 25, taking moral responsibility for the Congress' abysmal performance in the 17th Lok Sabha Elections.

However, his resignation offer was unanimously rejected by the CWC. So far, several top leaders have met Gandhi and urged him to continue to lead the party.

Despite senior members making serious attempts to convince the 49-year-old party chief to rethink his decision, he remains unfazed.

The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than what the party won in 2014 polls.

Meanwhile, Congress workers sat on hunger strike outside party headquarters, urging Gandhi to take back his resignation from the post of party president.